EU Council formally lists Iran’s IRGC as terrorist organisation

The Council of the European Union has formally decided to add Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the European Union terrorist list, according to an EU press release issued on February 19, 2026. The IRGC is an elite branch of Iran’s armed forces tasked with protecting the country’s political system and overseeing key military and regional security operations.The decision follows a political agreement reached by the Foreign Affairs Council on January 29 and marks a formal step to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organisation under the EU framework.

With the listing now in effect, the IRGC will be subject to restrictive measures under the EU’s counterterrorism sanctions regime. These measures include the freezing of funds and other financial assets or economic resources held within EU member states, as well as a ban on EU operators making funds or economic resources available to the organisation.
Also read: EU–Indo-Pacific economic alliance: Why Europe is seeking alternativesAs a result of the latest designation, a total of 13 individuals and 23 groups and entities are now subject to restrictive measures under the EU terrorist list.

Meanwhile, tensions in the Persian Gulf have intensified following stalled US–Iran nuclear talks in Geneva, with experts warning the region stands at a “50-50” tipping point between diplomacy and conflict.

Ahead of the negotiations, Iran conducted live-fire missile exercises toward the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route and on February 19 continued joint naval drills with Russia.

At the same time, the United States has increased its military presence in nearby waters, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf.