Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Designation as a Terrorist Organization

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), established in 1979 to safeguard Iran's theocratic regime, operates independently from the nation's regular military. It focuses on both domestic security and foreign missions, notably through its specialized Quds Force. Over the years, the IRGC has evolved into a formidable force engaged in global acts of terrorism and espionage. The downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020, orchestrated by the IRGC, has been officially classified as an act of terrorism by the Superior Court of Ontario, Canada. This incident exemplifies the criteria set under the European Union's 'Common Position 931' (CP931) for designating entities as terrorist organizations. CP931 mandates EU member states to enforce specific measures against groups involved in terrorism, incorporating a dual-step verification process: an initial decision by a competent national authority regarding the entity's involvement in terrorism, followed by a confirmation from the European Council. This process underscores the requirement for decisions to be both recent and legally robust, and it accommodates considerations for entities based outside of EU states. The judicial ruling by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, asserting the IRGC's deliberate terrorist actions in the PS752 tragedy, aligns with the stipulations of CP931, positioning the IRGC as a viable candidate for inclusion on the EU's terrorist list.