Washington is reportedly preparing to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization, just ahead of the elections in Israel.
The first such designation of another country’s military, could come as early as next Monday three US officials told Reuters and the Wall Street Journal
A top Iranian commander has warned that the US bases in the region would be insecure if Washington blacklisted the IRGC or imposed sanctions on Iran over its defense program.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
RT reports: Such a move would be a major escalation of the Trump administration’s policy of pressure on Iran, which began with the pullout from the nuclear deal last May and continued with the reimposition of sanctions suspended under the 2015 agreement.
The IRGC was founded after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Its foreign expeditionary branch, the Quds force, has been heavily involved in fighting against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists in Syria, as well as other militant groups opposed to the government in Damascus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, considers Iran an existential threat to his country, and has even made thinly veiled nuclear threats against Damascus and Tehran over IRGC’s presence in Syria.
The timing of the announcement is especially interesting, given that Netanyahu is facing a tough election next Tuesday. In addition to ditching the nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump has made several other moves in support of Netanyahu, including the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and the recent recognition of Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights, which it has occupied since the 1967 war with Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
