On April 8th, the already tense relations between the US and Iran got even more strained. The US President Donald Trump announced the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
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Trump said the decision “underscores the fact that Iran’s actions are fundamentally different from those of other governments” and vowed to continue increasing financial pressure on Tehran until “it abandons its malign and outlaw behavior”.
“It makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC. If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism,” he said.
In an important step to counter the Iranian regime’s terrorism, the U.S. has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, incl. Qods Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. We must help the people of Iran get back their freedom. pic.twitter.com/T65CxJjRrr
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) April 8, 2019
Pompeo said that the blacklisting takes effect on April 15th.
Economic and travel sanctions on the elite military group mean any group or individual that does business with the IRGC could face criminal prosecution for providing material support to a terrorist organization.
“This historic step will deprive the world’s leading state sponsor of terror the financial means to spread misery and death around the world,” Pompeo said. He warned that businesses with a presence in Iran or engaged with its companies will have to take extra steps to ensure they are not violating US sanctions.
Brian Hook, a senior policy adviser to Pompeo, said that the IRGC controls “up to half Iran’s economy.”
“It is absolutely the case that the IRGC amounts to a significant amount of the Iranian economy through pure kleptocracy,” Pompeo said. “Businesses and banks around the world now have a clear duty to ensure that companies with which they conduct transactions are not connected to the IRGC in any material way.”
Saudi Arabia on April 9th welcomed the US decision.
Iran reciprocated by naming US Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terrorist organization and dubbed the US as “state sponsor of terrorism.”
#Iran introduces US gov’t as sponsor of terrorism, its forces in West Asia terrorist group https://t.co/ySHpZu5oNh pic.twitter.com/CVT3HeS4zf
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) April 8, 2019
“The Islamic Republic of Iran declares itself in reciprocity against the unlawful and unreasonable action of the United States today, considering the United States as a terrorist sponsored government and the Central Command of the United States, CENTCOM, and all its affiliated forces as terrorist groups,” the National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran said in a statement. “Obviously, the US regime will take all the responsibility for the dangerous consequences of this undertaking,” the statement said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani called the move a “sign of US idiocy.”
“Who does not know that IRGC has inflicted the harshest blows to the dreadful terrorist groups in the region?,” Larijani added in a reference to ISIS.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, for his part, criticised Trump’s decision as “another dangerous US misadventure” in the Middle East and a “misguided election-eve gift” to Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, Iran’s regional archenemy.
A(nother) misguided election-eve gift to Netanyahu. A(nother) dangerous U.S. misadventure in the region.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 8, 2019
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the US decision and announced the response measure in a televised speech.
“They (the enemies) created and funded cells and provided them with explosives to kill Iranian officials, people and the revolutionaries to push them again under the US hegemony.
So, do you expect the US and the Zionist regime not to hold grudges on IRGC?
All their plots against the Iranian people were foiled through the efforts of the entire nation including the youth, women and men, all ethnic groups, Shias and Sunnis who all stood with each other, with IRGC as their big flag-bearer,” Rouhani said.
According to Rouhani, the US was trying to cover up its failure by demonizing Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei also commented on the US decision saying that it thinks it can “throw a spanner” in the work of the Islamic Revolution, but that it would fail.
The decision by both sovereign states to mutually name a part of the other’s government a terrorist organization is a precedent in modern history.
It comes down to speculation what the consequences would be.
CNN cited anonymous senior US officials who said that the IRGC designation pose threats for all US troops in the Middle East.
Asked about the risks to US troops in the Middle East and particularly in Iraq, Hook told reporters at the State Department that “the decision leading up to this process was a full interagency process that included every member of the NSC. We have taken all measures that are appropriate and prudent in the context of this designation.”
He added that “whenever we and other nations call out and expose the regime for what it is, it behaves like a mafia organization increasing its threats. We will not be deterred by their threats.”
Nathan Sales, the State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, said the agency would not discuss details of measures being taken to ensure the safety of US personnel.
“I can assure you that we take force protection very, very seriously. And that is why we have run a robust interagency process to make sure that all interested parties are prepared for whatever the Iranian regime might throw at us,” he said
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also warned that there would be consequences for US forces in the region.
#NetanyahuFirsters who have long agitated for FTO designation of the IRGC fully understand its consequences for US forces in the region. In fact, they seek to drag US into a quagmire on his behalf.@realDonaldTrump should know better than to be conned into another US disaster. pic.twitter.com/i4bcfgxybT
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 7, 2019
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said it was “fitting that the most dangerous terrorist group in the world, responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents and backed by a massive state apparatus and vast energy wealth, is being designated finally as a foreign terrorist organization.”
The designation now means “the US government can truly unleash its full economic, prosecutorial and political powers” to punish Iran, Dubowitz said.
Expectedly, Israel welcomed the decision, since Iran is practically its nemesis.
Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump for your decision to designate the Islamic revolutionary guards as a terrorist organization.
Once again you are keeping the world safe from Iran aggression and terrorism.— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) April 8, 2019
“Thank you for responding to another one of my important requests, that serves our interests and the interests of regional countries,” Netanyahu was also cited as saying.
If this was Trump answering an Israeli request, this marks a continuation of the US propagating Israel’s interests, similarly to the March 21st recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
A likely scenario that the Trump administration is seeking with all the pressure on Iran is the following: Provoke Iran into bolting from the JCPOA, re-starting its nuclear program, and escalating its regional behavior, thereby providing the United States or its regional partners with a pretext to use military force against the Islamic Republic.
Their timeline is 18 months if Donald Trump is not re-elected. Whether it will happen or not, is still unclear.
Most likely, however, the designation might lead to greater instability in a region that’s already quite volatile.
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What is the idea of publishing the above Neo-Fascist support for the criminally insane draft dodging war monger? To garner support from right-wing nut cases? To give balance to the article? Or !!! To begin grooming the increasing number of air-heads that throw in their nickels worth of stupidity???
well they manage to f*ck up their donations which means they getting a better deal from the rubbish they been publishing lately. it is kind of obvious.
exactly!
I dont know.. I read here for 3 years now, and it always the same: Over the whole month, only a small part is funded.. Maybe 20-30%. and then, magically, 1 day before the end of the month, 70-80% are funded. Could be some recurring donations set on the date, but why at the end of the month and not the start, when most people get their paychecks? Mystery.. Makes one think if the rumors of some big pocket oligarch (not state) backers are true, but who knows. I dont care who funds this site anyway, i judge each news separately, and dont blindly trust any news source anyway.
good for you.
Well, it certainly is. ;) Thank you. ;) But it seriously is only because after becoming fed up with MSM lies, the so called alternative media is often no better. All have their agenda, hidden or not. So if you dont go through the extra trouble and dont distrust any source, you are being manipulated. Maybe not by CNN, but by some other source. Wanting to blindly trust is only human, but no solution.. And the opposite of evil is often not good, but another evil.
I find this article not so bad, it just sums up statements from both sides. But your arguments do apply IMHO to many of the Zerohedge articles they repost here, with their Anti-Iran Pro-Donald bias..
Zero Hedge is a evangelical Zionist propaganda piece and is a CIA disinformation tool. If you look at their consistent line it is pro-Zionists and supports the idiot buffoon Trump’s “white nationalism” racist line which is linked with Zionist funding. There are many sites like Zero Hedge run by western “intelligence” services to plant fake news and disinformation. Rense is another one. Their main aim is basically the same, Islamophobic, anti-China and pro-Zionist.
If you listened to Pompous spout his bs about Iran, you didn’t have to even close your eyes to realize that he was projecting about the US. Yes, if you reversed the names of the countries mentioned, it was a true statement.
with 22000billion bucks in debt the desperation within the criminally insane and seriously to the core corrupt junta that no one is taking the bait so that the morons (goering, himmler, heydrich, goebbels and adolf himself, no meaning fatso, bolton, abrams hannah and donny the dunce himself of course) finally can get the war started is glaring and, with today’s transparent world, the morons, like hitler in his days, will stand out as the aggressor like a sore thumb for the world to see. and that ain’t so fun, particularly when the better part of the intelligent world perceive iran as reasonably peaceful country with no serious aggressive tendencies, like the squatters. and that the morons are just the mouthpiece for the abominal squatters, or used by the squatters.
“providing the United States or its regional partners with a pretext to use military force against the Islamic Republic”.
This is not going to happen..
As I predicted to Khamenei. There will be no war and you guys should not negotiate with US, and I was right.
Iranian mullah regime is now fragmented more that ever and the IRGC will have to take lead before the systems cracks due to both internal and external pressure. The only hope for Iran is to test a nuke or be rolled over.
Me and Bolton dont regret a single bullet. But we ask ourselves why nobody are thinking on freedom. America as a powerful nation of freedom. Where are people´s comments and empathy for the Iranian people and its freedom?
Terrorism: using violence/proxies/direct aggression in support of economic/political/religious means. Perfect example of what Iran and the IRGC are doing in the Middle East in order to target Israel, Saudi Arabia, US, and their allies… using Houthi and Hezbollah proxies, and direct aggression such as IRGC militias in Iraq and Syria… they want to harm Israel and reach the Mediterranean to further economic goals. Conclusion: IRGC/Iran fit the definition of terrorism perfectly
Nose job dude instead of usual hasbara lies that no one believes. Imagine if you had a human face, you may even get laid by some Tel Aviv queer like yourself at the gay games happening now. I kid you not :)
Man go fuck yourself you fucking Zionists.
None of your post makes any sense – stealing oil resources for instance. The only country which targets others for their oil is the US, helped by the “little satan”.
Russia can prevent the death of millions and a major war fought across the ME with the simply delivery of 8 batteries of S-400 systems. Then their will be no major aerial bombardment campaign against the peaceful Iranians. The whole reason Gaddafi died was that they had no S-400 or even newer S-300 systems. That is the reason the Libyan people suffer. It would have all been avoided if only they had had a decent anti-air defense system. http://entityart.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/why-they-killed-gaddafi-zionists-zionism-nwo-new-world-order-gold-free-education-debt-slavery-the-greater-israel-project-illuminati-oil-libya-c.jpg
Even the social philosopher Anthony Giddens, was impressed by Quaddafi
Giddens is a Sociologist cut from the same cloth as Parsons and every bit as right wing. Right wingers are often impressed by revolutionaries. It does not mean they agree with the person they are impressed with..
false…your projections amuse
The strategic reality in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon is that Iran has more or less achieved its aims and despite a very weak military and political leadership, Iran by the sheer dint of size, resources and above all historical and religious ties spanning 1400 years is now permanently ensconced in the now strengthening alliance of the Axis of Resistance. Iran’s biggest failure post Ahmadinejad has been a very incompetent foreign policy as the drama queen Zarif as a US citizen has worked for the CIA since his student days. The fat buffoon Rouhani is even worse with his tepid response to US and Zionist threats and bombast and labeling the Sepah as “terrorists”. If Iran had proper leadership it is in a very strong position considering the growing Americunt quagmire in the region. The mullah idiots are oblivious to the fact that Americunts are arming Saudi headchoppers with nukes within the next 5 years and unless Iran tests a nuke it will face a real existential threat. It is time for the Sepah to act and get rid of both the pot bellied mullah Rouhani and the grinning CIA stooge Zarif who has been a dismal failure that no country takes seriously. Iran also needs to cooperate with all resistance forces regardless of superficial “sectarian” overtones. Most of the population of the region now hates the Americunts, with the exception of the treacherous Kurd turds.
The IRGC is being ensconced as the devil as Russia was awhile ago with Hillary aghast at her loss. This is typical. Indemnify, then defeat. In this case it isn’t probable as they are an arm of the state and not an “on the loose” terror group in a third world country ripe for conquest. This designation as terrorist and consequent upheavals on the microphone by Mike Pompeo and such will eventually loose heart and little will be gained by either. Amen.
this bizarre gesture merely demonstrates how desperate the american ruling elite has become