The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced in a statement that it has designated the naval and air forces of all member states of the European Union as terrorist entities.
According to the statement, the measure constitutes reciprocal action in response to the “illegal and unjustified” decision by EU governments to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
The decision follows a move adopted by EU member states on February 19, 2026. Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed that the European action contravenes fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, noting that the IRGC is an official branch of Iran’s armed forces.
The ministry cited Article 7 of Iran’s 2019 law titled “Countermeasures Against the Designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organization by the United States.” Under this legislation, any country that follows or supports the United States’ designation of the IRGC may be subject to reciprocal measures by Iran.
Based on this legal framework — including Article 4 of the same law — Iran has formally identified the naval and air forces of all EU member states as subject to countermeasures and designated them as terrorist organizations under its domestic legal system.
The statement concluded by emphasizing that the measure was taken within the framework of Iran’s national laws and in response to the clear violation of international legal principles by European governments.
MNA