EU Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Officials, Considers Terrorist Label for Revolutionary Guard
The European Union has taken a significant step in its response to Iran's violent suppression of nationwide protests by sanctioning 15 Iranian officials on Thursday. This action includes top commanders of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard and comes ahead of an anticipated decision to designate the entire paramilitary organization as a terrorist group.
International Pressure Mounts on Islamic Republic
These new sanctions add to growing international pressure on the Islamic Republic, which now faces potential military action from the United States. President Donald Trump has threatened force in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and possible mass executions. The American military has already deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers to the Middle East region.
Activists report that at least 6,373 people have been killed in the crackdown, though it remains unclear whether Trump will ultimately decide to use military force. For its part, Iran has warned it could launch pre-emptive strikes or broadly target the Middle East, including American military bases and Israel.
Iran Plans Strait of Hormuz Military Drill
On Thursday, Iran issued a warning to ships at sea that it plans to conduct a military drill next week involving live firing in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. This waterway sees approximately 20% of the world's oil pass through it, meaning such exercises could significantly disrupt global energy traffic.
The hard-line Keyhan newspaper raised the specter of Tehran attempting to close the strait by force, stating that Iran and its allies have their finger on a trigger that could sever the world's energy artery. Such a move would likely prompt U.S. military intervention.
Revolutionary Guard Faces Terrorist Designation
EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, indicated earlier Thursday that the Revolutionary Guard would likely be added to the EU's list of terrorist organizations. This paramilitary force has played a key role in suppressing the demonstrations that began in early January.
This will put them on the same footing with al-Qaida, Hamas, Daesh, Kallas said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as a terrorist.
Other countries, including the United States and Canada, have already designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Iran had no immediate comment on the EU's actions but has criticized Europe in recent days as it considered the move.
France Supports Sanctions Despite Initial Concerns
France had initially objected to listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization over fears it would endanger French citizens detained in Iran and diplomatic missions. However, it later signaled support for the measure.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated Thursday that France supports more sanctions in Iran and the listing because there can be no impunity for the crimes committed. In Iran, the unbearable repression that has engulfed the peaceful revolt of the Iranian people cannot go unanswered, he said.
Symbolic Act with Practical Consequences
Kristina Kausch, a deputy director at the German Marshall Fund, described the potential listing as a symbolic act showing that for the EU, the dialogue path hasn't led anywhere and now it's about isolation and containment as a priority.
The designation of a state military arm, of an official pillar of the Iranian state as a terrorist organization is one step short of cutting diplomatic ties, she explained. But they haven't cut diplomatic ties and they won't.
Additional Sanctions and Economic Impact
The EU on Thursday also sanctioned six organizations in Iran, including those involved in monitoring online content. The country remains gripped by a three-week internet blackout imposed by authorities.
These sanctions mean that affected officials and organizations will have their assets frozen and their travel to Europe banned. The Revolutionary Guard holds vast business interests across Iran, and sanctions could see any of its assets in Europe seized.
Iran already struggles under the weight of multiple international sanctions from countries including the U.S. and Britain. On Thursday, Iran's rial currency fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1. Economic woes had originally sparked the protests that later broadened into challenging the theocracy before the violent crackdown began.
Revolutionary Guard's History and Role in Crackdown
The Revolutionary Guard was born from Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution as a force meant to protect its Shiite cleric-overseen government and was later enshrined in its constitution. It operates in parallel to the country's regular armed forces, growing in prominence and power during the long and ruinous war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Though it faced possible disbandment after the war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted it powers to expand into private enterprise, allowing it to thrive economically. The Guard's Basij force likely played a key role in putting down the demonstrations that began in earnest from January 8, when authorities cut off internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people.
Videos that have emerged from Iran via Starlink satellite dishes and other means show men likely belonging to its forces shooting and beating protesters. However, sanctioning the Guard presents complications since Iranian men reaching age 18 are required to do up to two years of military service, and many find themselves conscripted into the Guard regardless of their personal politics.
Death Toll and Domestic Preparations
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that the violence in Iran has killed at least 6,373 people in recent weeks, with many more feared dead. This count includes at least 5,993 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 113 children, and 53 civilians who weren't demonstrating. More than 42,450 people have been arrested.
The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground and has been accurate in multiple rounds of previous unrest in Iran. The communication cutoff imposed by Iranian authorities has slowed the full scale of the crackdown from being revealed.
Iran's government as of January 21 put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces and labeling the rest terrorists. In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest. This death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Meanwhile, Tehran's mayor announced plans Thursday to build bomb shelters and install air-raid sirens in the capital, though reportedly described it as a yearslong project. Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, whose Green Movement rose to challenge Iran's disputed 2009 presidential election, again called for a constitutional referendum to change the country's government, though a previous call failed to take hold.
