In a major retaliatory move, the Iranian parliament has on Tuesday voted in favour of labelling the United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) as a terrorist outfit. 204 out of 256 parliament members have voted in favour of the move.
This development comes after the United States designated, last week, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization, a move strongly condemned by Iran.
Right after Washington’s announcement, Iranian foreign minister advised its nation’s supreme national security council to include US CENTCOM under the listing of a terrorist organization.
The passed bill is considering any kind of information, technology and financial aid being provided to CENTCOM as the terrorist measures, according to ANI news reports.
During the announcement regarding designation of IRGC as an international terror outfit, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo had stated: “The designation of IRGC, including the Qods Force will help starve the regime of the means to execute this destructive policy. Maximum pressure will be unrelenting until Iran’s regime abandons its deadly ambitions.”
Washington’s decision related to IRGC was a part of the increasingly aggressive strategy of the White House towards Iran.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on April 9, said the US made “a vicious move” while designating Iranian revolutionary guards as a foreign terror outfit, a state-run TV reported.
While addressing a group of IRGC, Khamenei stated: “They wish to plot against our Sepah (the Guards) … it is in the frontline of confronting enemies of our (1979 Islamic) revolution and has always defended the country … America has failed to block our advancements.”
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has also defended his IRGC fighters as protectors of Iran, stating the US “holds a grudge” against the IRGC who have “sacrificed their lives to protect our people, our revolution”.
Also read:
- White House to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as foreign terrorist outfits
- Iran to retaliate US’ Trump move to designate Revolutionary Guards as foreign terror outfit
- US labelling IRGC as foreign terror outfit a ‘vicious move’, Iran’ Ayatollah Khamenei hits back