RATCHETING UP

Iran Fires Back at Reports U.S. Will Designate Revolutionary Guards Terrorist Group

The country’s foreign minister called the rumored policy “another US disaster;” another threatened reciprocal action.

Iranian officials fired back Sunday at reports the U.S. will designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a “terrorist” organization, calling the expected decision “another U.S. disaster in the making” and threatening retaliatory action, Al Jazeera reports Sunday. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. could announce the new designation—which has largely been seen as an attempt to take a tougher stance on Iran—as early as Monday. Commander of the IRGC Mohammad Ali Jafari said Sunday that if the Trump administration follows through with “such foolishness,” U.S. troops would “lose their current status of ease and serenity,” and would be met with a “reciprocal move” from Iran. “If reports prove to be true that the stupid US administration intends to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation (sic), then the IRGC will also specify the US army as a group like ISIL in all parts of the world, specially (sic) the Middle-East.” Jafari’s statement was echoed by the Iranian parliament, the majority of whom reportedly confirmed in a statement that they would reciprocate a terrorist designation.

BIG MOVE

U.S. to Designate Iran’s IRGC as Foreign Terrorists: WSJ

Julia Arciga