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The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have about 523,000 active personnel and the first time President Trump designated them a foreign terrorist organization
Monday, April 08, 2019
Members of the Iranian revolutionary guard march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2011. (Photo: Stringer/Reuters) |
VietPress USA (April 8, 2019): Today is the first time the United States has formally labeled another country's military a terrorist group. President Donald Trump on Monday designated Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization, an unprecedented step that raises tension in the Middle East.
Iran has warned it will take reciprocal action against Washington for its move against the Guards, the country's most powerful security organization.
Iran has warned it will take reciprocal action against Washington for its move against the Guards, the country's most powerful security organization.
The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: نيروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ايران) include the Army (Artesh), the Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepāh) and the Law Enforcement Force (Police).
These forces total about 523,000 active personnel (not including the Law Enforcement Force). All branches of armed forces fall under the command of General Staff of Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics is responsible for planning logistics and funding of the armed forces and is not involved with in-the-field military operational command.
Iran's military, which is equipped with relatively modern sophisticated US-made military equipment delivered before 1979, has been described as the Middle East's "most powerful military force" (exempting Israel) by retired US General John Abizaid.
The designation "makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC," Trump said. "If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a strident critic of Iran, has pushed for the change in U.S. policy as part of the Trump administration's tough posture toward Tehran. Pompeo told a news conference the designation will take effect in one week.
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U.S. designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group
By Lesley Wroughton
By Lesley Wroughton
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday designated Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization, an unprecedented step that raises tension in the Middle East.
Iran has warned it will take reciprocal action against Washington for its move against the Guards, the country's most powerful security organization.
It is the first time the United States has formally labeled another country's military a terrorist group.
"The IRGC is the Iranian government’s primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign," Trump said in a statement.
The designation "makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC," Trump said. "If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism."
Critics have warned that the move could open U.S. military and intelligence officials to similar actions by unfriendly governments. The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but not the organization as a whole.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a strident critic of Iran, has pushed for the change in U.S. policy as part of the Trump administration's tough posture toward Tehran. Pompeo told a news conference the designation will take effect in one week.
The announcement comes shortly before the first anniversary of Trump's decision to pull out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and to reimpose sanctions that had crippled Iran's economy.
After reports of the designation emerged late on Friday, Iran warned it will take reciprocal action.
"We will answer any action taken against this force with a reciprocal action," a statement issued by 255 out of the 290 Iranian lawmakers said, according to IRNA.
Set up after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the Shi'ite clerical ruling system, the IRGC is Iran's most powerful security organization. It has control over large sectors of the Iranian economy and has a huge influence in its political system.
The IRGC is in charge of Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear programs. Tehran has warned that it has missiles with a range of up to 2,000 km (1,242 miles), putting Israel and U.S. military bases in the region within reach.
The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but the organization as a whole is not.
In 2007, the U.S. Treasury designated the IRGC's Quds Force, its unit in charge of operations abroad, "for its support of terrorism," and has described it as Iran's "primary arm for executing its policy of supporting terrorist and insurgent groups."
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Editing by Alistair Bell)
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