TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday strongly condemned recent bids by the European Parliament to designate Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) a "terrorist organization."
He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, denouncing a resolution passed in European Parliament on Thursday to urge the European Union to impose more sanctions on Tehran and blacklist the IRGC in response to Iran's massive retaliatory military operation on April 14 against Israel.
Kanaani slammed as "baseless and irresponsible" the issues raised by the European Parliament.
He said the IRGC was an official military force of Iran that played an indispensable role in ensuring national security, protecting national borders, and encountering external aggressions and threats.
He hailed IRGC's "unique, undeniable and determining" role in fighting terrorist groups in the region, with many of its fighters sacrificing their lives against "Takfiri" and Islamic State "terrorists."
Kanaani advised the Europeans to think correctly about the IRGC before making any decision.
Iran launched large-scale missile and drone strikes on Israel in response to an Israeli attack on April 1 on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital Damascus, in which seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders, were killed. ■
