Lithuania joins Israel's EU efforts to designate Iran's IRGC

BRUSSELS — On an official visit to Israel, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis pledged on Thursday to support Jerusalem’s efforts for blacklisting of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The move could take time, but it offers Israel a path to bring such legislation to the European Union (EU), now that it is supported by a member state.

A statement issued by the office of Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Lithuanian government will support adding the IRGC to the country’s list of terror groups and will also support adding it to the EU list of terror groups. Furthermore, the Israeli statement said that the two ministers discussed ways to thwart the Iranian nuclear program, including reimposing diplomatic and economic sanctions against Tehran.

The parallel statements published by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry concerning Landsbergis’ visit focused on sanctions against Iran, without mentioning the IRGC. Still, in an interview with Israel’s Walla news, Landsbergis noted that a serious discussion is currently taking place within the EU on declaring the IRGC a terrorist organization. The Lithuanian minister assessed that there is a growing consensus within EU member states on this matter. He noted that "there are practical and legal issues that we still need to resolve, but I believe we are getting close to such a decision."

For Lithuania to blacklist the IRGC, authorities will have to engage in a legal procedure that might take some time. Still, the pledge made by the Lithuanian minister is significant in the European context. If Vilnius indeed goes through with this procedure, it could then submit to the EU a request to blacklist the IRGC across the continent. EU regulations for adding a group to its list of terror organizations demand that at least one member state designate the group as such. Then, once a request is submitted, the 27 member states must all agree.