Iran has declared that the armed forces of European Union member states are now considered “terrorist groups,” escalating tensions after the bloc designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
The warning was issued on Sunday by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, days after the EU announced the designation following Iran’s most violent suppression of nationwide protests since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
Speaking during a parliamentary session in Tehran, Qalibaf said the EU decision would trigger countermeasures under Iranian law. Lawmakers attending the session wore Revolutionary Guard uniforms in a symbolic show of support for the force.
“By trying to target the Revolutionary Guards, the Europeans have acted against the interests of their own people and followed Washington blindly,” Qalibaf told fellow legislators.
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He said Article 7 of Iran’s law on countermeasures states that any country classifying the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation would see its own military designated the same way by Iran. “According to this law, the armies of European countries are now considered terrorist groups,” he said.
Qalibaf added that Iran’s parliamentary national security commission would review further steps, including whether to expel military attachés from EU embassies in Tehran. He said the issue would be pursued in coordination with Iran’s foreign ministry.
Iran has not yet announced a timeline for any diplomatic action, and European officials have not publicly responded to the threat.
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The EU decision marked a sharp shift in its policy toward Iran’s leadership, coming after months of protests that were met with mass arrests and deadly force, drawing condemnation from European governments and rights organisations.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was established after the 1979 revolution to protect Iran’s clerical system. Over the decades, it has grown into one of the country’s most powerful institutions, with influence spanning the military, intelligence services, and large segments of the economy.
Western governments have long accused the Guards of backing militant groups across the Middle East, an allegation Tehran has consistently rejected.
The designation is expected to further strain already fragile relations between Iran and Europe, with diplomats warning that dialogue could become more difficult as legal and security disputes deepen.