The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, announced on Sunday the classification of European armies as "terrorist organizations," as a retaliatory step following the European Union's listing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.
This came during his attendance at a parliament session wearing the uniform of the Revolutionary Guard, in a sign of solidarity with the Iranian military establishment, stressing that the European decision is an attempt to appease the United States and gain its support on international files such as Ukraine, NATO, and Greenland. The Iranian army pointed out in an official statement that Europe is suffering from division and paralysis, and that classifying the Revolutionary Guard is a step "to attach a new stigma to the black file of European colonialism," stressing that the decision will not weaken the resolve of the Iranian people, and that the armed forces will remain united in their ranks with the Revolutionary Guard to confront any external threat. The Revolutionary Guard is a parallel apparatus to the regular army in Iran, and it reports directly to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It was established after the revolution in 1979 to protect the revolution and confront any coup attempts, before its military, intelligence, and economic activities expanded. The Guard includes multiple arms such as the Basij for internal control, and the Quds Force for external operations, in addition to special units to protect the capital Tehran in times of crisis.
