Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, dismissed the United States’ classification of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, stressing that he remains at the forefront of the battle with the “enemies”.
Speaking before a group of IRGC staff and their families on the eve of the National Day of Guards, Khamenei said that US officials wishfully plot against the Corps and the Iranian revolution.
“Undoubtedly, such ferocities won’t get them anywhere. Their vice and deceit will return boomerang on them, leading the enemies of the republic such as Donald Trump and those around him at the US ruling apparatus to go down the drain.”
IRGC is comprised of an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units. It also commands the Basij, controls Iran’s ballistic missile programs and overseas al-Quds forces that have fought Iran’s proxy wars in the region.
The US move prompted Tehran to blacklist the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle-East and all its affiliates.
Consequently, the IRGC advised US President Donald Trump Tuesday to steer his warships clear from Iranian vessels in the Gulf, adding that the Guards will increase their defensive and offensive capabilities in the coming year.
“This US move was quite laughable since the Revolutionary Guards are in people’s hearts ... The Revolutionary Guards will increase their defensive and offensive capabilities in the coming year,” said IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari according to Reuters.
Earlier in July, Tehran has also threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if the United States tries to strangle Iran’s economy by halting its oil exports.
Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani defended the Guards describing its men as Iran's protectors, a few months after he described them as “the government carrying a gun.”
Rouhani believed the US move will unite Iranians and increase the IRGC’s’ popularity in Iran and in the region.
He said that Washington was “grudgingly” against the IRGC, which “sacrificed its life to protect our people and our revolution.”
“If you want to limit Iran’s military power, you know that we have developed missiles since last year that you wouldn’t even imagine”, Rouhani warned, referring to Iran's insistence on expanding its missile program despite mounting US pressure to curb it.
“You were afraid of IR1 centrifuges, today we unveiled IR6, and if you continue to walk down this road, you will see IR8 in the near future.”
The long-tense relations between Tehran and Washington took a turn for the worse last May when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, reached before he took office, and reimposed sanctions.
Resolution 2231 of the Security Council, according to the nuclear agreement, prevents Iran from acquiring advanced centrifuges.
Germany, France and Britain, signatories to the nuclear deal, are trying to salvage the deal and set up a mechanism in January to circumvent US sanctions.
Ambassadors from the three countries sent a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Iran’s latest development and launching of ballistic missiles is having a destabilizing effect in the Middle East and increasing existing tensions. They also said Iran’s activities are “inconsistent” with a 2015 UN resolution calling on Iran not to undertake any activity involving such missiles.
In show of support, and before the start of the morning session on Tuesday, members of the Iranian parliament wore the IRGC dark green fatigues in defiance to the US move.
They also chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in the public session.
“US decision to label the Guards as a terrorist group was the peak of stupidity and ignorance of the US leadership,” Fars quoted parliament speaker Ali Larijani as saying.
The Iranian parliament passed a "double-urgency motion" on Tuesday to "strengthen the military force.” It also branded the US forces based in West Asia as a "terrorist" entity.
"All legal and real persons and troops of the United States and its allies operating in the West Asian region are recognized as terrorist by Iran, as well as any financial, technical and other aid extended to them is regarded a terrorist act," maintained the motion.
