Iran’s military and officials on Thursday denounced the European Union’s decision to designate the country’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, calling the move “irresponsible and spite-driven” and accusing the bloc of following U.S. and Israeli policies.
“The illogical, irresponsible and spite-driven action of the European Union has undoubtedly been taken in unquestioning obedience to the hegemonic and anti-human policies of the United States and the Zionist regime,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said several countries are currently working to prevent the outbreak of an all-out war in the region, adding that none of them are European.
"Europe is instead busy fanning the flames," Araghchi said in a post on X, criticizing the bloc for what he described as following Washington's lead and making a "major strategic mistake" by targeting Iran's national military force.
He said the move reflected "blatant hypocrisy," accusing European governments of taking no action in response to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza while rushing to claim they are defending human rights in Iran.
Araghchi also warned that Europe itself would be heavily affected by any wider regional conflict, citing the potential impact of surging energy prices and broader economic consequences.
"The EU's current posture is deeply damaging to its own interests," he said, adding that Europeans "deserve better than what their governments have to offer."
Separately, Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned U.S. President Donald Trump of grave consequences if Washington launches a military strike on Iran.
“Maybe Mr. Trump can start a war, but he doesn’t have control over how it ends,” Ghalibaf told CNN, adding that U.S. soldiers stationed thousands of kilometres from home would “definitely suffer” in any confrontation.
His remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened a pre-emptive strike if Tehran targets U.S. military facilities. Rubio said tens of thousands of American troops stationed across the Gulf are within range of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.
Tensions escalated further after Trump said another U.S. fleet was heading toward Iran, following earlier attacks on Iranian nuclear sites by the United States and Israel last June.
EU foreign ministers this week agreed to designate the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation and impose asset freezes and travel bans on around 30 Iranian individuals and entities in response to Tehran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
Pressed by reporters on whether she would support a U.S. strike, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said only: “I think the region does not need a new war.”
