Why the World Must Designate the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not a conventional military, nor is it merely an internal security force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is a transnational organization that blends militarism, ideology, terrorism, and economic domination. It supports extremist militias, commits human rights abuses, assassinates dissidents abroad, and undermines global peace through proxy warfare.

The IRGC is, by every legal, moral, and strategic standard, a state-sponsored terrorist organization. Yet despite overwhelming evidence of its crimes, many countries—particularly in Europe—have still failed to formally designate it as such.

This article outlines why the global community must urgently designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the legal basis for doing so, the consequences of inaction, and how such a designation would transform the fight against terrorism, impunity, and authoritarianism.

1. What Is the IRGC?

Founded in 1979 to protect the Islamic Revolution, the IRGC has evolved into:

 • A military-industrial conglomerate

 • An ideological enforcement agency

 • A foreign policy arm of Iran’s Supreme Leader

 • A paramilitary and intelligence force

 • The main sponsor of proxy militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and Yemen

It answers only to the Supreme Leader, not to the civilian government, and is deeply involved in domestic repression, foreign terrorism, and economic corruption.

2. The Legal Case for Designation

Under most legal frameworks—including those of the United States, Canada, UK, and EU—a group may be designated a terrorist organization if it:

 • Uses violence to intimidate or coerce civilians or governments

 • Commits or facilitates terrorist acts

 • Provides material support to other terrorist organizations

The IRGC meets all criteria:

 • It trains and arms terrorist proxies (Hezbollah, Hamas, PIJ, Houthis)

 • It has assassinated dissidents and civilians abroad

 • It has attacked embassies, oil tankers, airports, and diplomatic targets

 • It funds terrorism through illicit finance and smuggling

3. U.S. Designation of the IRGC

In 2019, the United States designated the entire IRGC, including the Quds Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)—the first time a military branch of a sovereign state was designated.

Consequences:

 • Criminalized material support for the IRGC

 • Enabled seizure of IRGC-linked assets

 • Allowed for civil lawsuits and sanctions enforcement

 • Sent a powerful political message to Iran’s regime

Other countries should follow this precedent—not isolate it.

4. Canada, EU, UK: Partial Action, Incomplete Response

Canada:

 • Designated only the Quds Force, not the full IRGC

 • Parliament passed a non-binding resolution for full designation—but it remains unenforced

EU:

 • Sanctioned individual IRGC commanders, not the organization

 • European Parliament has called for designation after IRGC assassination plots in Europe

UK:

 • Sanctioned IRGC elements under counterterrorism powers

 • As of 2025, still has not completed full terrorist designation

Partial sanctions are not enough. The IRGC adapts, rebrands, and survives. A full designation is required to cut off its lifelines.

5. A Global Terror Campaign

The IRGC is responsible for or linked to multiple international terrorist acts:

 • 1983: Beirut bombing of U.S. Marine barracks (241 killed) — via Hezbollah

 • 1994: AMIA bombing in Argentina — 85 killed

 • 2011: Plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C.

 • 2018–2022: Multiple plots in Europe targeting exiled dissidents

 • 2020–2023: Drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases, civilian airports, and Saudi oil facilities

The Quds Force orchestrates many of these operations, often through proxies or diplomatic channels.

6. Suppression at Home: A Terror Group Turned Inward

The IRGC does not reserve its terror tactics for foreign targets. Inside Iran, it:

• Executes political prisoners

 • Tortures activists and journalists

 • Crushes protests with live ammunition

 • Targets schoolgirls and students with chemical attacks

 • Uses cyberwarfare to monitor, hack, and punish civilians

The Basij militia, under IRGC command, has been deployed to enforce hijab laws, break up protests, and disappear dissenters.

7. Exporting Extremism and Proxy Warfare

The IRGC’s strategy of proxy warfare undermines state sovereignty and fuels endless conflict.

Its Proxies Include:

 • Hezbollah (Lebanon)

 • Hamas & Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Gaza)

 • Houthis (Yemen)

 • Kata’ib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and other militias (Iraq, Syria)

 • Liwa Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun (Afghan and Pakistani militias)

These groups:

 • Attack civilians

 • Destabilize fragile states

 • Commit war crimes

 • Undermine peace efforts

The IRGC enables all of this—logistically, financially, and ideologically.

8. What Designation Would Do

A. Legal Consequences

 • Criminalizes material support and cooperation with the IRGC

 • Enables arrest and prosecution of affiliates abroad

 • Blocks banking, investment, and travel

B. Financial Consequences

 • Freezes IRGC-linked assets worldwide

 • Forces banks and companies to cut ties

 • Interrupts IRGC money laundering and smuggling

C. Political Consequences

 • Delegitimizes the IRGC as a military institution

 • Strengthens civil society and human rights efforts

 • Pressures the regime to reform or fracture

9. Counterarguments — and Why They Fail

“It could derail nuclear negotiations.”

 • Appeasement hasn’t worked. The IRGC continues its violence regardless of diplomacy.

“It would escalate conflict.”

 • The IRGC is already engaged in covert warfare. Designation is deterrence, not provocation.

“They are part of a state military.”

 • So was the SS in Nazi Germany. State status does not absolve responsibility for terrorism.

10. Victims Deserve Justice

From Syrian children gassed in Douma to Iranian protesters gunned down in Abadan, the IRGC has blood on its hands.

Victims Include:

 • Mahsa Amini

 • Navid Afkari

 • Neda Agha-Soltan

 • Protesters from November 2019 (1,500+ killed)

 • Dissidents assassinated in Turkey, Iraq, and Europe

Each act of terror demands a legal, moral, and global response.

11. Global Public Support Is Growing

 • Iranian diaspora organizations support full designation

 • Women’s rights activists call the IRGC “an engine of gender apartheid”

 • Lawmakers across Europe and North America are demanding action

 • Survivors are testifying before parliaments and courts

The people are ready. Now governments must act.

12. What You Can Do

 • Contact your representatives: Demand IRGC designation in your country

 • Join petitions and public campaigns: Help build pressure

 • Support survivors and whistleblowers: Amplify their voices

 • Share verified information: Counter disinformation and propaganda

 • Back legal action: Support lawsuits and documentation efforts

Conclusion: It’s Time to Name the Threat

The IRGC is not misunderstood. It is not reformed. It is not moderate. It is a terrorist organization that survives because the world has allowed it to.