Iran MPs: IRGC entitled to reciprocate if blacklisted by US

A key Iranian parliamentary body says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reserves the right to treat US military forces as terrorists if Washington blacklists the elite force.

In a Tuesday statement, the Iranian Majlis (parliament) Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy slammed the possible designation by the administration of President Donald Trump against the IRGC as “idiotic” and “hideous” and noted, “The IRGC is entitled to treat the US forces the same way it treats terrorist groups” in case the reports of such a blacklisting turn out to be true, according to IRNA.

In his planned speech on October 15, Trump is expected to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Moreover, he is reportedly planning to announce that he will not certify the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.

Trump’s potential plan against the IRGC has already faced international opposition, with Russia and France warning against the ramifications of such a decision.

The statement further said the US and Israel have been enraged over IRGC’s significant role in protecting Iran as well as regional security over the past decades.

“In recent years, the IRGC has played a valuable part in restoring security to Iraq and Syria and fighting terrorist groups, particularly Daesh, which are US lackeys in the world. If it was not for such a role, this strategic region would have faced worrying crises,” it said.

The parliamentary committee said it would support any retaliatory measure by the IRGC against US military forces under the Iranian law on countering US adventurist and terrorist activities in the region.

Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif has warned that Tehran would take reciprocal measures against a potential “strategic mistake” by Trump to blacklist the IRGC.

 “If American officials make such a strategic mistake, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take a reciprocal measure,” Zarif said, adding, “Some measures have been thought out in this regard and will be taken at the appropriate time.”

The IRGC chief commander, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, has also said that Iran would treat US troops like Daesh terrorists if the IRGC was designated as a terrorist organization by the US.

Trump’s efforts to blacklist the IRGC come as the advisors of the elite force are currently assisting Iraqi and Syrian forces in their anti-terrorism campaign against DaeshTakfiri militants and other terrorist groups in both countries.

M.Wassouf