Tehran Warned on Sunday the US of blacklisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and its commander threatened that today’s calm in the Middle East would be lost.
Iran will take reciprocal action against the United States if Washington designates the IRGC as terrorists, a majority of Iranian parliamentarians said on Sunday, according to state news agencies, Reuters reported.
The United States is expected to designate the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization, three US officials said, marking the first time Washington has formally labeled another country’s military a terrorist group.
“We will answer any action taken against this force with a reciprocal action,” a statement issued by 255 out of the 290 Iranian lawmakers said, according to state news agency IRNA.
“So the leaders of America, who themselves are the creators and supporters of terrorists in the Middle East region, will regret this inappropriate and idiotic action.”
The US decision, which critics warn could open US military and intelligence officials to similar actions by unfriendly governments abroad, is expected to be announced by the State Department perhaps as early as Monday, the US officials said last week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday US officials aiming to designate the IRGC as terrorist wanted to “drag the US into a quagmire” on behalf of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“ -NetanyahuFirsters- who have long agitated for FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organisation) of the IRGC fully understand its consequences for US forces in the region. In fact, they seek to drag the US into a quagmire on his behalf,” Zarif said on his Twitter account.
Zarif appeared to be implying that classifying the Guards as terrorists would draw them into conflict with US forces in the region.
Netanyahu has described the Tehran government as a “terrorist regime” that threatens the world and promotes attacks worldwide.
IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari also chimed in Sunday over the pending US designation, warning the US military would lose all the security it enjoyed in west Asia.
“The American army and security forces will no longer have today’s calm in the Middle East.”
