The European Parliament voted for the bill with 598 in favor, 9 against, and 31 abstentions.
There may also be a vote by the European Parliament on a “plan to suspend the JCPOA” talks with Iran on Thursday. Also, next Monday the European governments may decide whether to put the newly-approved European Parliament resolution into action or not.
If implemented or not, it is an illegal move by the European states because the IRGC is a legal military unit of Iran, and has a leading role in countering terrorism in the region and the larger world.
Speaking hours before European Parliament’s approval, Mohammad Esmaeil Kowsari, a former IRGC commander and current legislator, warned that if the European Parliament designates the IRGC as a terrorist organization it would have detrimental repercussions for the bloc and would not go unpunished.
Kowsari warned the European nations not to fall for a scheme orchestrated by the US and the Zionist regime to ban the IRGC.
He pointed out that the IRGC won’t be in any way constrained by such an evil scheme.
Additionally, he urged the EU and European governments to remain independent of the US and refrain from adopting any “hostile” action against the IRGC since doing so may eliminate any hope of dialogue on the JCPOA with Iran.
“The fallout from the European Union’s policy against the IRGC could be too much for the European countries and might deal a blow on any hope of negotiations,” he added.
Recent months have seen a rise in tensions between Iran and Western countries, particularly EU member states, over Iran’s purported sale of weapons to Russia and its alleged brutal suppression of domestic riots.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi also spoke before the approval by the European Parliament, saying any decision by Western countries to label an official military unit of Iran as a terrorist group will violate international conventions and reveal their mental, moral, and political weakness.
It will also be evidence of the instigator’s political and moral bankruptcy, the minister remarked.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Vahidi praised the IRGC as the most significant force in the battle against terrorism and asserted that such a magnificent organization is in danger from those who promote terrorism, such as the Zionist regime and the United States.
“There is no need to be alarmed about the European Parliament's proposal to label the IRGC as a terrorist group. The IRGC will advance vigorously,” Vahidi underscored.
The United Kingdom in cahoots with the European Union make attempts to classify the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” after Iran hanged dual citizen Alireza Akbari for spying for Britain.
In another slap by an Iranian lawmaker, the European Union was forewarned over its wrong approach towards Iran.
In response to Europe’s attempt to sanction the IRGC, Tehran's representative in the parliament, Mahmoud Nabavian, said that “if the interests of the Iranian nation are really endangered, we will put the European Union on the terrorist list and know well how to face the terrorists.”
It is worth noting that the European bloc has made 11 pledges to Iran following the US withdrawal from the Iran deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action, but as ex-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said none of them was fulfilled.
The recent military operation on Ukraine has cast light on the fact that European countries are unable to maintain their own security and safety but instead, they sniff the way Washington has paved.
Given the ban on the IRGC, they are doing the same job as before. Consequently, European officials are trying to fill the US shoes.
The failure of the West in the foreign-backed riots in Iran is an underlying reason why they are vexed against the IRGC.
In other words, the European bloc views the IRGC as a barrier to their anti-Iran plans and ploys. That’s why they are scrambling to take weird actions in this respect.
Sanctions on the IRGC can never hinder the way of the growth of such a deep-rooted organization but will surely have dire consequences for European countries.
To put it more clearly, the European bloc is seriously jeopardizing the future of the JCPOA revival talks and thereby complicating the status quo in West Asia.
First published in Tehran Times
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