BRUSSELS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union (EU) on Thursday formally added Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the EU 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. It also prohibits EU operators from making funds or economic resources available to the IRGC, the council said in a press release.
With the new designation, a total of 13 individuals and 23 groups and entities are now subject to restrictive measures under the EU terrorist list, according to the Council.
The EU move comes amid heightened regional tensions in recent days, as senior U.S. officials have repeatedly warned of possible military action against Iran and Washington has stepped up its military posture in the region.
The U.S. delegation held a second round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks on Tuesday. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the outcome of the talks would be decided over the next 10 days. On the same day, Iranian and Russian naval forces held a joint drill in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean. ■