The United States on Monday designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization, an unprecedented declaration against a foreign government that may prompt retaliation and make it harder for American diplomats and military officers to work with allies in the region.
It is the first time that the U.S. has designated an entity of another government as a terrorist organization, placing a group with vast economic resources that answers only to Iran’s supreme leader in the same category as al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
“This unprecedented step, led by the Department of State, recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a state sponsor of terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft,” President Donald Trump said in announcing the measure.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the designation is intended to increase pressure on Iran, isolating it further and diverting some of the financial resources it uses to fund terrorism and militant activity in the Middle East and beyond. But, in addition to the potential for Iranian retaliation, it complicates a delicate balance for U.S. personnel in at least two key countries.
No waivers or exceptions to the sanctions were announced, meaning U.S. troops and diplomats could be barred from contact with Iraqi or Lebanese authorities who interact with Guard officials or surrogates.
The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies had also raised concerns about the impact of the designation if the move did not allow contact with other foreign officials who may have met with or communicated with Guard personnel. Those concerns have in part dissuaded previous administrations from taking the step, which has been considered for more than a decade.
Critics of the hardline policy also see it as a prelude to conflict.
“This move closes yet another potential door for peacefully resolving tensions with Iran,” said Trita Parsi, the founder of the National Iranian American Council. “Once all doors are closed, and diplomacy is rendered impossible, war will essentially become inevitable.”
National Security Action, a group made up of mainly former Obama administration officials, said it would put U.S. troops at risk while jeopardizing the 2015 nuclear accord with which Iran is still complying.
“We need to call out today’s move for what it is: another dangerous and self-defeating tactic that endangers our troops and serves nothing but the Trump administration’s goal of destroying the Iran deal,” it said.
The designation could also open hundreds of foreign companies and business executives to U.S. travel bans and possible prosecution for sanctions violations.
It blocks any assets that IRGC entities may have in U.S. jurisdictions and bars Americans from any transactions with it. When it takes effect next week, it will allow the U.S. to deny entry to people found to have provided the Guard with “material support” or prosecute them for sanctions violations. That could include European and Asian companies and businesspeople who deal with the Guard’s many affiliates.
“It makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC,” Trump said. “If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism.”
The IRGC is a paramilitary organization formed in the wake of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the government. The force answers only to Iran’s supreme leader, operates independently of the regular military and has vast economic interests across the country. The U.S. estimates it may control or have a significant influence over up to 50% of the Iranian economy, including non-military sectors like banking and shipping.
Iran has long been designated a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the U.S. and the State Department currently designates more than 60 organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations.” But none of them is a state-run military.
Iran immediately responded to the designation with its Supreme National Security Council designating the U.S. Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, and all its forces as terrorist, and labeling the U.S. a “supporter of terrorism.”
The Council denounced the U.S. decision as “illegal and dangerous” and said the U.S. government would be responsible for all “dangerous repercussions” of its decision. It defended the IRGC, which has fought Islamic State fighters, as being a force against terrorism.
American military commanders were planning to warn U.S. troops remaining in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the region of the possibility of retaliation. Aside from Iraq, where some 5,200 American troops are stationed, and Syria, where some U.S. 2,000 troops remain, the U.S. 5th Fleet, which operates in the Persian Gulf from its base in Bahrain, and the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, are potentially at risk.
The U.S. special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, and the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, Nathan Sales, said the decision was reached after consultation with agencies throughout the government but would not say in a news conference if the military or intelligence concerns had been addressed.
“Doing this will not impede our diplomacy,” Hook said, without elaborating.
Reaction from those who favor tougher engagement with Iran was quick and welcoming.
“Thank you, my dear friend, US President Donald Trump,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a tweet, a day before what could be a close election. “Thank you for answering another of my important requests that serves the interests of our countries and of countries in the region.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the action an “overdue” but essential step that should be followed by additional sanctions.
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the designation “ends the facade that the IRGC is part of a normal military.”
And, the Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, called it “an imperative for Middle East security, peace, and stability, and an urgent and necessary step to end war and terrorism throughout the region and the world.”
Pompeo said the move is part of an effort to put “maximum pressure” on Iran to end its support for terrorist plots and militant activity that destabilizes the Middle East. Speaking to reporters, he rattled off a list of attacks dating to the 1980s for which the U.S. holds Iran and the IRGC responsible, beginning with the attacks on the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983.
(AP)
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16 Responses
And the biggest sponsor if this terrorist organization is Mr O’bam’a when he handed them billions in cash.
Like most Trump policies the idea sounds awesome in a 280 character headline or twitter post but when you dig a little deeper you begin to realize that the moves in reality achieve little or nothing of substance and mostly cause unnecessary problems and headaches. This is the reality of a president and electorate that focuses on sound bites in place of sound policy.
crazykanoiy supports Iran’s’ ayatollahs and IRGC terrorists only because they were buddies with Obama (ys). Those pesky Jews in Eretz Ysroel with their desire to survive Iran’s genocidal plans just getting on the way of Obama’s legacy, right crazykanoiy?
Obama did a great job getting Iran’s nuclear program under international watch and control. He applied sanction pressure until Iran agreed to the most intrusive and verifable inspection program ever. This is not my assesment it is the assesment of IDF Chief of Intelligence Gadi Eizenkott and the Israeli intelligence community. Trump appointed director of national intelligence Dan Coates testified along the same lines. The Iran nuclear deal required fixes regarding the sunset clause and other details but Trump foolishly through away all his leverage by pulling out of the deal and claiming Iran would come running to him for a new one. Well Iran did not come running to Drumpf. His own administration issues waivers for countries importing Iranian oil and Drumpf has achieved nothing. Luckily for us all the countries of Europe continued the deal with Iran so Irans nuclear development remains halted for now.
Bibi likes to play up Irans nuclear program and has repeatedly falsely claimed that nuclear breakout is imminent. Whatever happened to the threat in his bomb drawing at the UN? Who stopped it? Not Bibi who has failed to put any muscle behind his theatrics. Not Bibi who oversold a mossad find of info on Iran prior to the Nuclear deal. Bottom line is Bibi likes to talk up Iran and portray himself as a Churchill fighting a Chamberlin like Obama because this way Bibi can ignore the real hard issue of dealing with the Palestinian uprising in Gaza and the Palestinian issue in general.
crazykanoiy, you are probably one of 4 total fools who blindly believe lies and propaganda feed by Obama fake new media and lying Democrat apparatchiks.
I believe Gadi Eizenkott and Dan Coates.
Fools are the ones who trust partisan political hacks over the leaders of the US and Israeli intelligence communities.
crazykanoiy, you can believe “Gadi Eizenkott and Dan Coates” all you want, but only crazy idiots, your nick name says it all, will argue that giving Iran $150 B and nukes is a good for Israel and the world.
“Right now, the agreement, with all its faults, is working and is putting off realization of the Iranian nuclear vision by 10 to 15 years.” – Gadi Eizenkott
“If Iran now continues to suspend its nuclear project for eight or 10 years, in accordance with the agreement, that will let us focus on more urgent threats relating to the Iranian army establishing a presence in Syria, and preparing the Israeli army for the possibility that, in the future, we’ll have to deal with the nuclear [issue] if a confrontation erupts.” – Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad
In an interview Gilad said he believes a U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 agreement would help Iran more than Israel.
“We do not believe Iran is currently undertaking the key activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device,” – Dan Coats
Obama’s deal was working and is still working. Today Israel is safer because of the Iran deal. Hopefully a new US administration will be able to work with our European allies to fix the flaws in the deal and continue to ensure that Iran does not devolop nuclear weapons.
Trump has been all bluster. He boasted that Iran will come back to the table and beg for a better deal but that has not happened. Until that happens Trumps dangerous gamble remains a dangerous gamble and nothing more.
MIG – perhaps you misunderstand the details of the deal nobody “gave Iran nukes” nobody is in favor or arming Iran with nuclear weapons. The debate is what is the most effective way to stop them and the results speak for themselves.
Crazykanoi,
What about in 10 years from now?
crazykanoiy, in your twisted world Iran deal is good for Israel, Obama and John Kerry are the best friends Israel ever had, Benghazi happened because of YouTube video, Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton met secretly to discuss golf game and grandchildren, Jussie Smollett was attacked by white suprematists Trump supporters, and Trump is a Russian spy who stole 2016 elections from Hillary. Did i miss anything?
So now, can John Kerry or members of the NK be arrested if they illegally meet with the Ayatollah’s?
Coffee addict – You are right. The 10 year sunset clause is problematic but there is nothing in the agreement that prevents the US or the international community from placing sanctions on Iran or taking military action against Iran once the 10 year period has passed. As Eisenkott said it removes a pressing problem and gives Israel more time to plan. Obama felt that a 10 year deal is better than no deal. Trump should have used his leverage and his threat of withdrawal to try to extend the deal but his ego will not allow him to admit that Obama achieved anything worthwhile so instead of fixing problems he just blows the whole thing up and replaces it with nothing which creates an immediate problem instead of a potential future one (the same is true with his approach to Obamacare, DACA etc..)
MIG – Your response is kind if hard to make any logical sense out of. What does Jessie Smolett, Loretta Lynch, Benghazi etc… have to do with the Iran deal? I have never defended Smolett. Rahm Emanuel has been a most vocal critic of how he got off the hook. Just because Obama and Kerry achieved many good things for Israel doesnt mean they were the “best ever”. Try to tune out the rabble rousing babble of right wing talk radio for a little while and stay focused on the discusson at hand.