France Advocates for EU to Blacklist Iran’s IRGC as Terrorist Organization
On January 29, 2025, the French Parliament condemned Iran’s human rights abuses, urging the EU to classify the IRGC and Basij forces as terrorist organizations. This resolution highlights Iran’s systemic human rights violations and could lead to significant consequences for the IRGC, including asset freezes and operational bans. AJC leaders support the resolution, emphasizing the need for concerted action against Iranian threats to regional stability and global security.
On January 29, 2025, the French Parliament passed a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran, specifically calling for the European Union to recognize Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij forces as terrorist organizations. This resolution highlights Iran’s systematic abuse of human rights, particularly regarding the death penalty, state violence against women and children, and significant discrimination against women, which severely limits their freedom and livelihood.
The IRGC is recognized as a formidable terrorist entity that safeguards Iran’s fundamentalist regime and perpetrates severe human rights abuses, while also supporting illegal ballistic missile and nuclear operations. Furthermore, it backs groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas and played a pivotal role in the Iranian regime’s missile strikes against Israel in 2024. In the United States, the IRGC was classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on April 8, 2019, exposing it to stringent sanctions.
The significance of the French resolution lies in its potential to prompt a collective response from the EU. An EU-level designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization would entail asset freezes and a prohibition on operational activities, limiting its capacity to target Iranian dissidents and the Jewish community in Europe, as well as its involvement in supplying arms to Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
The resolution, supported by AJC Paris and introduced by Constance Le Grip, aims at enhancing transatlantic security cooperation. Ms. Le Grip, a member of the AJC’s Transatlantic Friends of Israel initiative, is committed to promoting stability in the region and countering threats resulting from Iran’s actions.
AJC CEO Ted Deutch praised the resolution as a crucial measure. He stated, “Glad to see the French Parliament vote in favor of placing the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the European terrorist list.” He underscored AJC’s long history of lobbying for this designation, emphasizing the IRGC’s role as a global terror network and its threats to communities worldwide.
The AJC now urges the EU and other nations to adopt similar measures. Over the past year, the AJC has championed congressional efforts aimed at protecting Jewish communities in Europe and countering Iran’s activities that disrupt the Middle East’s stability. The focus remains on designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity to curtail its provocative actions.
The passage of the French resolution signifies a pivotal moment in the international response to Iran’s human rights violations and the activities of the IRGC. By urging the EU to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, France hopes to strengthen collective security and protect vulnerable communities. The AJC’s advocacy plays a critical role in promoting these measures, underlining the broader implications for regional stability and global security.
Original Source: www.ajc.org
