EU nears terror listing of Iran’s IRGC as France, Spain flip: What to know
France and Spain had previously opposed the designation of the IRGC, arguing that the move could curtail any chance of dialogue with Tehran.
BRUSSELS — French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that Paris will agree to place Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations.
Earlier in the day, Spain signaled it will also agree to the step. The foreign ministers of the EU are set to meet Thursday in Brussels to discuss the issue. Designation requires a consensus of all 27 EU members, which now seems likely.
If passed, the EU will join the United States, which designated the IRGC a foreign terror outfit in 2019 under the first Trump administration.
"Together with our European partners, we will adopt sanctions tomorrow in Brussels against those responsible for these abuses. They will be banned from entering European territory, and their assets will be frozen. France will support the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the European Union’s list of terrorist organisations," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X Wednesday.
