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Iranian elites rally behind IRGC after US terrorist designation

Iranian elites from across the fray expressed solidarity with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after the US administration branded the military organization a terrorist organization.
EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. 

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ANNIVERSARY) - GM1E79M1DAT01

A day after being designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the Donald Trump administration, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is receiving a wave of support from home. The widespread backing from a commonly fractured elite notably came even from those who traditionally harbor striking differences with the powerful organization.

In an unprecedented gesture of solidarity, parliamentarians including speaker Ali Larijani and Reformist majority leader Mohammad Reza Aref appeared in the IRGC's green uniforms in an early morning session March 9. Of particular note, outspoken IRGC critic Mahmoud Sadeghi — another Reformist parliament member — also joined the gesture by donning IRGC fatigues.

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