The Trump administration Monday designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps a foreign terrorist organization in a move that reflects Washington's increasingly aggressive stance toward Tehran and could have implications for the safety of American soldiers stationed in the Middle East.
It is the first time the U.S. has formally labelled another country’s military a terrorist group. The action follows a months-long escalation of Washington's rhetoric against the Islamic Republic after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord last year and reimposed sanctions that crippled its economy.
The move is intended to put pressure on the financial assets of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, or IRGC, a powerful security organization founded in the aftermath of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. It has a vast political and economic power base that extends to Iran's armed forces, as well as its strategic industries from oil to agriculture.
The IRGC also presides over Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear programs.
"This action sends a clear message to Tehran that its support for terrorism has serious consequences," Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
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04.26.2024