The European Parliament voted 598-9 in favor of requesting that the E.U. list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror entity.

EU Foreign Ministers are meeting on Monday to discuss such a move and other sanctions against Tehran.

By JNS and EJP

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen commended the European Parliament on Wednesday for calling on the European Union to add Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) to its terror list.

“Iran is a terrorist state that exports terrorism to the Middle East, Europe and the entire world,” said Cohen. “The introduction of the Revolutionary Guards, the largest terrorist organization in the world, to the list of terrorist organizations of the European Union, is an important step in the fight against the Iranian regime,” he added.

The European Parliament voted 598-9 in favor of requesting that the E.U. list the IRGC as a terror entity.

In a resolution backed by an overwhelming majority of  lawmakers, the European Parliament in Strasbourg condemned “the brutal crackdown by Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on the demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini, following her violent arrest, abuse and ill-treatment by Iran’s ‘morality police.’’

Relations between the European Union (EU) member states and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. Tehran has detained several European nationals and the EU has become increasingly critical of a continuing violent crackdown on protesters, including executions.

Widespread anti-government demonstrations erupted in Iran in September after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly flouting the strict dress code imposed on women. Several protestors have been condemned to death and excuted. The latest was the execution  of Alireza Akbari last Saturday, a British-Iranian national.

The EU summoned Iran’s ambassador earlier this month and told him it was appalled by the exécutions.

Tehran has also been criticised for supplying its ally Russia with kamikaze drones ;

Prior to the vote, parliament members condemned Iran’s recent executions of anti-regime protesters.

German lawmaker Hannah Neumann said, “As long as Revolutionary Guards terrorize their own people and the entire region, we should treat them as terrorists and put them on the sanctions list.”

Designating the IRGC a terror group would make it a criminal offense to belong to the group, attend its meetings, or show its logo in support of the group in public.

EU Foreign Ministers are meeting on Monday in Brussels to discuss such a move and other sanctions against Tehran.