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European Parliament's IRGC vote 'destructive,' sure to invoke reaction: Iran MP

Thursday, 19 January 2023 1:01 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 19 January 2023 1:41 AM ]

Abolfazl Amouei, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Majlis (the Iranian Parliament)

A senior Iranian lawmaker lambastes the European Parliament for voting overwhelmingly earlier to call on the European Union and its member states to place Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on the bloc's "terror list."

Abolfazl Amouei, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Majlis (the Iranian Parliament), made the remarks to Iran's Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

He called the EP's move "anti-Iranian" and "undoubtedly destructive," adding that "Majlis would definitely issue a serious reaction to the European Parliament's undiplomatic move."

"The European Parliament's destructive and negative measure would be examined in the next meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, which would likely be joined by senior officials from the Foreign Ministry and other relevant [Iranian] bodies," the lawmaker added.

Earlier in the day, the European Parliament's members backed an amendment added to an annual foreign policy report, calling for "the EU and its member states to include the IRGC in the EU's terror list."

Violating international law, European Parliament urges EU to add IRGC to terror list

In violation of international law, the European Parliament calls on the European Union to add Iran’s IRGC to its terror list.

The hostile measure was passed by a vote of 598 in favor and nine against, with 31 abstentions.

The amendment will urge Brussels to blacklist the IRGC military force, the volunteer Basij force, and the IRGC's Quds Force.

And it would hit "any economic and financial activity involving businesses and commercial activities related to, owned, wholly or in part, by, or fronting for, the IRGC or IRGC-affiliated individuals, regardless of their country of operation."

Also on Wednesday, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi censured "some Europeans" for their attempts to designate IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, stating that the move clearly attested to the mental and political weakness of its architects.

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