The European Council formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization in February 2026.
Foreign AffairsEuropean Union
- Error detected
- Attribution error: the designation was made by the Council of the European Union, not by the European Council. In EU law, the European Council (EU heads of state/government) does not have the legal competence to designate entities on the EU terrorist list; this is the prerogative of the Council of the European Union.
- Omissions
- The MEP attributes the designation to the 'European Council' (Consejo Europeo), but the legal act was adopted by the 'Council of the European Union' (Consejo de la Unión Europea) — two distinct EU institutions. The European Council, composed of heads of state/government, does not adopt legally binding acts such as terrorist designations; that power belongs to the Council of the EU, composed of ministers.
- The formal designation took place on 19 February 2026 by written procedure of the Council of the EU, following a political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January 2026.
- Sources
- PrimaryCouncil of the European Union (Consilium)The Council formally decided today [19 February 2026] to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran to the EU terrorist list. The designation was made by the Council of the European Union under Common Position 2001/931/CFSP.
- SecondaryThe GuardianEuropean Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday [29 January 2026] to include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the bloc's list of terrorist organisations. The formal legal designation was subsequently enacted by the Council of the European Union on 19 February 2026.
- SecondaryChatham HouseThe European Union's decision to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization last week marks the end of years of debate within the bloc.