Statement of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Regarding the Reciprocal Action in Response to the Illegal Decision of the European Union Member States to Label a Part of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran February 21 2026

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to the illegal and unjustifiable decision of the European Union member states on February 19, 2026, announces:

 

Since the member states of the European Union, contrary to the fundamental principles and rules of the United Nations Charter and international law, have introduced the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), which is recognized as one of the pillars of the country’s official armed forces, as a terrorist entity, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the principle of reciprocity and pursuant to Article 7 of the Law on “Reciprocal Action in Response to the Designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organization by the US” passed in 2019, which stipulates that “all countries that in any way follow or support the decision of the United States to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization are subject to reciprocal action,” considers the naval forces and air forces of all European Union member countries to be subject to the aforementioned law and its provisions, including Article 4, and therefore, within the framework of reciprocal action, identifies and declares them as terrorist organizations.