“On January 8, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a commercial plane murdering 176 innocent persons of which 16 were Europeans. However, the Iranian authorities have refused to cooperate with other states and have yet to give a thorough explanation of this event,’’ said Antonio López-Istúriz.

The Secretary General of the European People’s Party (EPP), Spanish MEP Antonio López-Istúriz,  has called on EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell to consider Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proper terrorist organization.

“On January 8, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a commercial plane murdering 176 innocent persons of which 16 were Europeans. However, the Iranian authorities have refused to cooperate with other states and have yet to give a thorough explanation of this event,’’ said López-Istúriz.

‘’This is yet another demonstration of the government´s incompetence committed by the regime’s ideological and expansionist armed branch,” he added.

In his written request to Borrell, the MEP also recalled the brutal repressions of the Iranian regime during the demonstrations that took place last November in which 1,500 people were killed and another 7,000 irregularly detained.

“These acts constitute flagrant violations of human rights and an unacceptable use of security forces to drown out freedom of expression and opinion,” he wrote.

For López-Istúriz, moreover, the recent events in the Middle East, which involve Iran “and its increasing aggressive tone have put the peace and stability of the entire region in grave danger.’’

‘’Since Iran has already announced that it will leave the nuclear agreement, the JCPA has clearly failed to reach its objectives so it has no reason for existence anymore,’’ he said. ‘’Will the EU withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran and proceed to re-impose individual sanctions to members of the Iranian regime?,” López-Istúriz asked.

The EPP Secretary General has asked about these issues in the framework of Borrell’s recent visit to Iran in which he has met with the highest representatives of the Iranian regime.

The European People’s Party is the largest political group in the European Parliament.