TEHRAN — The Islamic Republic of Iran has launched a sweeping diplomatic and political counter-offensive following the European Union’s decision to classify the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

In statements on Thursday and Friday, high-ranking officials, military bodies, and ministries characterized the move as a “dangerous heresy” and a desperate act of submission to the dictates of the United States and Israel.

Tehran warned that this violation of international law would trigger immediate, reciprocal measures against European interests and military assets.

This escalation by the EU follows Washington’s threats and provocative military buildup in the Middle East, after what Iranian officials consider the defeat of foreign-backed riots and terror attacks that gripped Iran in early January, leading to the death of over 3000.

Iranian authorities have said that U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies hijacked peaceful economic grievances, transforming them into scenes of organized terrorism.

Foreign-trained rioters attacked clinics, ambulances, and mosques, acting on the public incitement of Western leaders, according to security bodies.

Warnings of reciprocal action

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “fraudulent” claims of European concern for human rights, noting their silence and complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani warned that, per parliamentary legislation, the militaries of participating European countries will now be treated as terrorist entities.

Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, wrote that the West no longer defines terrorism but “consumes” it as a political tool.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf said that only those standing on the side of terrorists could deny the IRGC’s record in defeating ISIS, warning that Europe’s “law of the jungle” approach will yield nothing but profound regret.

Military leadership slams ‘blind obedience’

The General Staff of the Armed Forces issued a blistering statement, describing the EU’s decision as an “irrational and spiteful” act of “blind obedience” to the anti-human policies of Washington and Tel Aviv.

The top military body emphasized that the IRGC is a legal, sovereign institution rooted in the will of the Iranian people and has consistently stood as the primary wall of defense against Western-sponsored state terrorism.

The statement questioned the audacity of European leaders who, to appease figures like Trump and Netanyahu, accuse an anti-terrorism powerhouse of the very crimes it has sacrificed thousands of martyrs to prevent.

The Army (Artesh) further contextualized the hostility, reminding the world of Europe’s dark history during the Sacred Defense in the 1980s.

It noted that these same European nations supplied chemical weapons and advanced military hardware to Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime, contributing to the martyrdom of 17,000 Iranians.

Today, the Army asserted, a “weakened and marginalized Europe is resorting to psychological warfare to curry favor with the U.S. president,” hoping for support in its own crises, including the war in Ukraine and the internal erosion of NATO.

Systematic rejection of judicial overreach

The Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics denounced the designation as a “vindictive and hasty” reaction to the failure of foreign-designed plots against Iran.

Legally, the ministry argued that the EU has committed two fundamental errors: attempting to criminalize the sovereignty of a state—which is a legal impossibility—and violating the UN Charter’s principle of non-interference.

It described the EU’s move as a sign of “civilizational collapse” and a total abandonment of human values.

Europe’s security debt

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a sharp reality check to Brussels, asserting that the EU has made a “big mistake” that they will soon be forced to remedy.

He pointed out what he considers the blatant ingratitude of European countries, stating that they “do not appreciate what has been done for them,” and that the IRGC “actually saved the world from a major terrorist organization.”

Araghchi warned that had it not been for the IRGC’s sacrifices, the fight against ISIS and other takfiri groups would have failed, and European citizens “would be battling against Daesh [ISIS] and other terrorist organizations on the streets of Europe” today.