In a significant diplomatic move, the German federal government has officially initiated a process with the European Union to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. This development, reported by the prominent German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday, July 4, underscores Germany’s increasing concern over the Iranian regime’s activities in the Middle East and beyond.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s largest opposition party, has also called for a comprehensive review of the country’s policy towards the Iranian regime. The CDU has highlighted Iran’s longstanding history of sponsoring terrorism, destabilizing the Middle East, and financing proxy groups. The party’s primary proposals include exerting pressure on the EU to recognize the IRGC as a terrorist entity, forming an international coalition with Middle Eastern Arab countries to counter Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and closing the Islamic Center in Hamburg.

Echoing these sentiments, Deutsche Welle reported on July 4 that Germany’s federal government has opened a formal file within the EU aimed at imposing terrorist sanctions on the IRGC. The German Foreign Ministry, along with several other EU member states, is involved in this initiative. This push comes amidst heightened tensions and scrutiny over the regime’s regional influence and nuclear program.

#Iran News: #German State Issues Ban on Iranian Diplomats Following April 14 Attackhttps://t.co/FjVoC24Nj4

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 19, 2024

The European Union had previously stated that a court ruling is required to officially designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Speculations suggest that the German government may rely on a verdict from the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, which found an Iranian named Babak Jalali guilty of attempting a terrorist attack on a synagogue. The court’s decision indicated that an Iranian state entity was behind the plot.

Adding to the context, a recent documentary by Germany’s ARD television network, citing security agencies, stated that the IRGC orchestrated the attack through Ramin Yektaparast, the leader of a criminal gang. Yektaparast was mysteriously killed in Iran not long ago.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has long advocated for the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Its President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi has consistently called for the closure of the Iranian regime’s embassies and the severance of diplomatic ties with Tehran, citing the regime’s extensive support for global terrorism and its ongoing human rights violations.