TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday the country had designated the navies and air forces of all member states of the European Union (EU) as terrorist organizations.
The move is to respond to the EU's recent "unlawful and unjustified" decision to label Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, the ministry said in a statement.
The EU decision is "in contradiction with the fundamental principles and rules of the United Nations Charter and international law," the statement said.
It added that the Iranian government reciprocated based on the principle under a 2019 law, which states that "all those countries that in any way comply with or support the U.S. decision to declare the IRGC a terrorist organization will be subject to reciprocal action."
The Council of the EU on Thursday formally added the IRGC to the bloc's terrorist list following a political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers last month.
The listing triggers restrictive measures under the EU counterterrorism sanctions regime, including the freezing of the group's funds and other financial assets or economic resources in EU member states.
The EU's move comes amid heightened tensions in the West Asia region in recent days, with the United States increasing its military presence and repeatedly threatening potential military strikes against Iran. ■
