Senior Cleric Blasts US for Blacklisting IRGC

Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani blasted US President Donald Trump for designating the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and said that such behavior shows how stupid the American officials are.

News ID: 444483

Date: 27 April 2019 - 15:52

RNA - Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Emami Kashani said, "Since the very first day Washington has been our enemy, but the current US administration has pulled off the curtains and fully exposed its animosities."

He described designation of IRGC as a terrorist organization as a US crime, and said, "We should see whether the root of terror is in the US or Iran; what we see in the world is that Iran's IRGC has restored security to the region."

"Aren't the bombs dropped at hospitals in Yemen not regarded massacre and terrorism?" Ayatollah Emami Kashani asked.

Last week, the US formally blacklisted the IRGC as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" following a relevant announcement by President Donald Trump on 8 April.

Responding to Washington's move, Iran immediately declared the US as "state sponsor of terrorism" and American forces in the region "terrorist groups".

Iran's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in a statement declared the United States a “terrorist government”, and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group”.

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.

Also, IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari blasted Washington for designating the IRGC as a "terrorist organization", stressing that his forces would further increase power in the year ahead.

General Jafari described the US move as "ridiculous", saying that "the IRGC is in the hearts of the people".

“God willing, the IRGC will grow stronger in the coming year in defensive and offensive fields more than before,” he said.

“Much to enemies’ dismay, the IRGC and the Army will stand together and will continue to support the deprived and the oppressed people all over the world without fear,” General Jafari said last week.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to his counterparts across the world warned of consequences of Washington's adventurist move to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a "terrorist organization".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the illegal and provocative move by the US and warns about the long-term and immediate repercussions of this measure and calls on governments to adopt systematic and precise measures in line with (international) law against the recent US adventurism,” Zarif said in the letter.

According to Fars News Agency, he said the designation against a part of the Armed Forces of Iran, which is a member of the UN and humanitarian international conventions, could lead to dangerous legal and political repercussions.

The US blacklisting of the IRGC posed one of the most serious threats to international order, Zarif said.

The Iranian foreign minister said the US designation of the IRGC as terrorist and Washington's “fabricated allegations” about a link between Iran and the al-Qaeda terrorist group are part of a plot aimed at preparing America’s public opinion for new adventurism in West Asia, and to pave the way for the US administration to have mandate to use military force against another country.

The top diplomat urged countries across the world to stand up to Washington’s adventurism.

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