Two US lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill urging the European Union to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization to present a united Western front against Tehran's military operations in the Middle East.
The Revolutionary Guards are a paramilitary and intelligence organization which helps arms and trains Shi'ite armed groups in the region.
US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2019 and ordered the assassination of its commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad the next year.
The European Union has so far held off on such a designation for the IRGC as a whole though it has designated individuals in the organization. None of the EU member states list it as a terrorist organization.
"To defeat the IRGC, which is responsible for sponsoring terrorist attacks against innocent civilians across the globe, the United States cannot act alone," congresswoman Claudia Tenney, a co-sponsor of the so-called Encouraging the EU to DESIGNATE Resolution, said in a statement.
"It's time for our EU allies to step up and follow suit .. this will send a strong message that the West is united against the IRGC's malicious actions and that we will hold them accountable for their vile acts of terrorism," the New York Republican added.
The EU has designated the Palestinian armed movement Hamas and the military wing of Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organizations. Both groups, along with the Houthi group in Yemen and various militias in Iraq are backed by IRGC.
A full terrorism designation imposed on the IRGC would enable European law enforcement greater police and investigatory powers to prosecute Iranian officials and organizations.
The classification could also have profound dent European-Iran trade relations, as the IRGC controls a large portion of the Islamic Republic's economy.
“With Tehran more isolated than ever, now is the time to tighten the screws— we must not ease up or give the IRGC room to regroup," congressman Brad Schneider said.
"The US and Canada have already acted, and I urge our European allies to join us," the Illinois democrat said.
