Brussels: In a remarkable pivot that underscores growing European unease with Tehran’s conduct, France has abandoned its previous reservations and pledged support for adding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the European Union’s official list of terrorist organizations. The announcement, made ahead of a key meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, marks a significant escalation in Western policy toward Iran and reflects mounting pressure within the bloc over Tehran’s brutal repression of domestic protests.
The IRGC formed in the aftermath of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the ruling clerical regime holds extensive power across the country’s military, political and economic spheres. It controls elite forces, oversees ballistic missile and nuclear-related programmes, and has played a central role in suppressing dissent inside Iran as well as supporting proxy groups across the Middle East. European diplomats who have long debated how to respond to these dynamics see the designation as a powerful symbolic and legal step that would subject the organization to travel bans, asset freezes and criminal penalties under EU law.
Until this week, Paris had been one of the EU capitals most hesitant to back a terrorism listing for the IRGC. French leaders had argued that such a designation could sever diplomatic avenues with Tehran, complicate efforts to protect and repatriate European citizens detained in Iran, and jeopardise broader strategic engagement on issues including nuclear diplomacy. France Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking on social media platform X, framed the shift as a response to what he described as “the unbearable repression of the peaceful uprising of the Iranian people,” saying it was time for Europe to take a firmer stance.
France’s new position aligns it with other major EU states, including Italy and Germany, which have been pushing for tougher measures against Iran. Italy, in particular, has been outspoken in urging EU partners to formally categorize the IRGC as a terrorist entity, prompting Tehran to summon the Italian ambassador and warn of “destructive consequences” if Brussels proceeded with such plans. Iranian officials have portrayed a terrorist designation as unjust and dangerous, arguing it could further destabilize relations and provoke reciprocal measures from Tehran.
The move comes amid expectations that the EU will approve a new round of sanctions targeting more than 20 Iranian individuals and entities, focused largely on rights abuses related to Iran’s crackdown on protests and restrictions on technologies such as drones and missile components. These sanctions, to be discussed at the foreign ministers’ meeting, would complement existing EU measures but stop short of a full terrorism designation unless all 27 member states agree a legal requirement that could yet prove challenging.
Adding the IRGC to the EU’s terrorism list would mark a rare step in which a powerful arm of a sovereign state’s military apparatus is formally labelled akin to non-state extremist groups such as ISIS or al-Qaeda. The United States has already classified the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and European policymakers say the bloc must send a unified message that Tehran’s actions both at home and abroad are unacceptable.
Analysts say the decision could have profound diplomatic implications, potentially narrowing channels for negotiation with Iran while strengthening ties among EU members advocating a more assertive foreign policy. It also highlights the broader tension within the EU between human rights advocacy and strategic engagement in an increasingly volatile Middle East.