Iran Summons EU Ambassadors Over Terror Listing
- Iran summons EU ambassadors over Revolutionary Guard listing
- EU terror listing sparks Iran protest and diplomatic warning
Hyderabad: Iran on Monday said it had summoned all European Union ambassadors in the Islamic Republic to protest the EU’s decision to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group. Iranian officials described the move as unacceptable and warned of a possible reciprocal response. The development comes amid rising regional tensions and sharp diplomatic exchanges between Tehran and Western powers.
Iran said the summons followed the EU’s decision last week to designate the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group. According to Iranian authorities, the listing crossed diplomatic lines and violated international norms. Therefore, Tehran decided to formally convey its protest to all EU representatives stationed in the country. Officials said the process of summoning ambassadors began on Sunday and continued into Monday.
Meanwhile, the situation unfolded as Iran faced the threat of possible US military action. This followed reports of the killing of peaceful demonstrators and concerns over possible mass executions. The American military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers into the Middle East. However, it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will choose military action. At the same time, regional countries have engaged in diplomacy to prevent a new Middle East war.
The New York based Soufan Centre think tank commented on the situation on Monday. “Trump is trying to calibrate a response to Iran’s mass killing of protesters that punishes Iranian leaders without also embroiling the United States in a new, open ended conflict in the region,” it said. It also noted internal debates within the US administration. “Some Trump aides seek to exploit Tehran’s weakness to secure major concessions from the regime, but Trump has set conditions for a diplomatic resolution that Tehran cannot accept.”
The EU decision has drawn strong anger from Tehran. The bloc agreed to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terror group over its role in the crackdown on nationwide protests in January. The protests reportedly killed thousands and led to tens of thousands of detentions. Other countries, including the United States and Canada, have already designated the Guard as a terrorist organisation. While the move is largely symbolic, it increases economic pressure on Iran, as the Guard plays a major role in the country’s economy.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said officials were reviewing options. “A series of actions were reviewed, various options are being prepared and were sent to the related decision making bodies,” Baghaei said. “We think that in the coming days, a decision will be made about a reciprocal action by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the illegal, unreasonable and very wrong move by the EU.”
Later, Iran’s parliament speaker said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries as terrorist groups, citing a 2019 law. (Maxim News)
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