WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a proposal that could lead to potentially designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, according to US officials familiar with the matter.
The officials said several US government agencies have been consulted about such a proposal, which if implemented would add to measures the United States has already imposed on individuals and entities linked to the IRGC.
The IRGC is by far Iran’s most powerful security entity, which also has control over large stakes in Iran’s economy and huge influence in its political system.
The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC.
In 2007, the US Treasury designated the IRGC’s Quds Force, its elite unit in charge of its operations abroad, “for its support of terrorism,” and has said it is Iran’s “primary arm for executing its policy of supporting terrorist and insurgent groups.”
A designation of the entire IRGC as a terrorist group would potentially have much broader implications, including for the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and the United States and other major world powers.
“The new administration regards Iran as the clearest danger to US interests, and they’ve been looking for ways to turn up the heat,” said a senior US official who has been involved in what he called a broad review of Iran policy.
The official said that rather than tearing up the nuclear agreement, the White House might turn instead toward punishing Iran for its support for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and some Shiite forces in Iraq, as well as covert support for Shiites in Bahrain, and cyber attacks on Saudi and other Gulf Arab targets.
Current US sanctions include penalties for foreign companies which knowingly conducting “significant” transactions with the Revolutionary Guards, or other sanctioned Iranian entities. However, many companies in which the Revolutionary Guards have an interest in or own are not blacklisted, and have been able to sign foreign deals.
