Syria on US Designation of IRGC as ‘Terrorist’ Organization: 'It's Legion of Honor'

An official source at Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry stated that Damascus strongly condemns the US government’s designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a ‘terrorist’ organization, describing it as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Iran.

News ID: 444259

Date: 11 April 2019 - 23:03

RNA - According to SANA news agency, the unnamed official stressed that “the US measure should be seen as a legion of honor for and recognition of the pioneering role of the IRGC in defending Iran’s sovereignty and its … important role in the resistance front”.

The official added that the US administration’s “irresponsible step” was part of the declared war launched by Washington against Iran, saying that President Donald Trump's announcement was meant to meet the interests of the Israeli occupation regime and was in line with the West’s colonial project in the region.

On Monday, Trump announced that the US will formally designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a move some in the administration had opposed over concerns about potential risks to American troops in the Middle East.

Senior officials stated that the designation decision, formally under the State Department's purview, represents the next step in the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against Iran, but the move had met with internal resistance because of concerns about American troops in the Middle East.

Commander of the IRGC Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari had warned that the US Army will lose its current status of ease and serenity in West Asia if Washington designates the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Shortly after the Washington's decision, Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) labeled the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle-East as a terrorist entity.

The SNSC on Monday declared the United States a “terrorist government”, and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group” to reciprocate Washington's controversial decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

In a statement issued on Monday evening, the SNSC - that is headed by President Hassan Rouhani - condemned Washington's move, calling it “an illegal and dangerous action” that poses a “major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law".

The statement further condemned the US decision as “unlawful and unreasonable action” prompted by the Islamic Republic's regional influence and success in fighting against terrorists, and blamed CENTCOM for harming Iran’s national security as well as ruining the lives of “innocent Iranian and non-Iranian individuals” to promote the US “aggressive policies” in West Asia (the Middle-East).

"The Islamic Republic of Iran regards this baseless move as a major threat to regional and international peace and security and a blatant violation of the compelling rules of international law and the United Nations Charter," Iran's top security body reiterated.

The statement specifically mentioned that the US is “involved” in the killing of people in Yemen, as tens of thousands of people have been killed since the Saudi-led brutal bombing campaign began in March 2015.

The US and its allies “have always been advocates of extremist groups and terrorists in West Asian region”, the SNSC said, adding that Washington has to take responsibility for “the dangerous consequences of its adventures”.

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