The United States has formally designated Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organisation, a
notice in the US Federal Register confirmed on Monday.
I hereby designate the aforementioned organization
and its aliases as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of
the [Immigration and Nationality Act]," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
said in the notice published in the Federal Register.
Pompeo's statement follows President Donald Trump's
announcement made on 8 April that the United States is designating Iran's IRGC
as a terrorist organisation. Pompeo later confirmed this saying that the
designation would take effect in one week.
Commenting on the decision, senior US administration
official said in a conference last week that it would allow for the criminal
prosecution of those providing material support to the IRGC. The official also
urged other nations to designate the IRGC.
As a response to the US move, the Iranian Foreign
Ministry proposed that the country's Supreme National Security Council include
the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on its list of terrorist organisations.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have
escalated since Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal last year and
reinstated sanctions against Tehran. The nuclear agreement envisaged gradual
lifting of sanctions in return for Iran keeping its nuclear program peaceful.