(Brussels, 29 January 2026) – The European Jewish Congress welcomes the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation by the unanimous decision of the 27 Member States of the European Union. This is an important and long-overdue step in recognising the central role the IRGC plays in promoting violence, repression and instability far beyond Iran’s borders.
For years, the IRGC has been the main driver behind Iran’s support for terrorist proxies that target Jews and Israelis, threaten regional stability and undermine international security. It has also been linked to plots and hostile activities on European soil, demonstrating that its reach and danger are not limited to the Middle East. At the same time, the IRGC is a pillar of the Iranian regime’s internal repression, responsible for brutal violations of human rights and the silencing of its own population.
“The IRGC is not a conventional military force, but the engine of Iran’s global terror network,” said EJC President Dr Moshe Kantor. “Through its direct actions, which are now increasingly being turned against its own people, and its backing of groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and other extremist proxies, it has exported violence, antisemitism and instability across the Middle East and into Europe. Today’s decision is a clear and necessary message that the European Union will no longer tolerate state-sponsored terrorism.”
The EJC calls on the European Union and its Member States to ensure that this designation is fully implemented and followed by concrete and effective measures against the Islamic Republic’s terrorist and repressive structures, ensuring that it translates into concrete action against those who promote hatred, violence, and terror.
