Iran summons Italian envoy over calls to designate IRGC as terrorist group

Iran has summoned Italy’s ambassador in Tehran following calls by Rome for the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

The director general of West Europe Department at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Alireza Yousefi, summoned Paola Amadei on Monday to formally protest “irresponsible” remarks made by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani regarding the IRGC.

Yousefi said the IRGC is an official and legal component of Iran’s armed forces, warning that any attempt to label it as a terrorist organization would carry “destructive consequences.”

He also urged Rome to revise its “ill-considered approaches” toward Tehran.

The Italian ambassador said she would convey Iran’s protest to her government as soon as possible.

Italy has been calling for tougher European action against Tehran lately.

Peaceful economic protests hijacked by US-Israel backed terrorists

The protests that Iran witnessed in the first days of January was a peaceful movement where legitimate economic problems were voiced but the ensuing terrorism that occurred are a completely different story.

On January 26, Tajani said he would urge EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to place the IRGC on the bloc’s terrorist list, citing Iran’s alleged crackdown on foreign-backed riots in recent weeks.

“The losses suffered by the civilian population during the protests demand a clear response,” Tajani wrote in a post on X, adding that he would push for individual sanctions against those deemed responsible.

EU officials have confirmed that that the issue will be discussed at this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting. However, any designation would require unanimous approval from all EU member states, and officials have acknowledged that consensus has not yet been reached.

Pressure on Brussels continues to mount as debates intensify over how the EU should respond to Iran’s alleged crackdown on foreign-backed riots and broader regional policies.

Several EU countries, including Germany and the Baltic states, are reportedly pushing to revive the discussion, while officials from Italy, France and Spain have said further deliberations are needed.

The United States, Canada and Australia have already designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization.

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While EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, says she is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Iran, MEP’s criticize the West

Late last month, widespread economic hardship compounded by years of Western sanctions sparked peaceful protests by merchants across Tehran and other cities.

Iranian authorities initially acknowledged the legitimacy of some demands, but officials said demonstrations were hijacked by US- and Israeli-backed rioters aiming to incite violence and disorder.

Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs later reported that 3,117 people died during the unrest, including 2,427 civilians and security personnel, noting that many innocents were killed by organized terrorist elements.

According to a statement by Iran’s Security Council, the peak of the violence came on January 8 and 9, when attackers carried out “Daesh-style crimes,” including beheadings, stabbings, and burning people alive, alongside systematic assaults on bazaars, shops, banks, mosques, hospitals, ambulances, and other public infrastructure.

In a resolution adopted on January 22, members of the European Parliament expressed what they described as “full solidarity” with Iranians while also calling for the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.  

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