Iran vows 'crushing response,' EU designates Guards as 'terrorist organisation'
- Last updated: January 29, 2026 | 20:47 ..
Iran on Thursday vowed a "crushing response" to any attack after US President Donald Trump warned time was running out for a nuclear deal, and as the European Union (EU) declared the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation.
Foes Washington and Tehran have exchanged sharp warnings since a protest wave in Iran led Trump to threaten military action over a violent crackdown, while the Islamic republic blamed the United States for fuelling what it deemed "riots."
The face-off has sent diplomatic shock waves across the region, with calls for negotiations to defuse tensions drawing in key regional actors.
The EU agreed on Thursday to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard a "terrorist organisation" over a deadly crackdown on mass protests, sending a powerful message of condemnation to Tehran.
"This was long overdue," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after foreign ministers from the bloc took the decision. "'Terrorist' is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people's protests in blood."
Though largely symbolic, the EU move has already drawn a warning from Tehran it would have "destructive consequences."
Iran's military on Thursday blasted a European Union move to designate the country's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation, saying the decision was "irresponsible and spite-driven."
"The illogical, irresponsible and spite-driven action of the European Union has undoubtedly been taken in unquestioning obedience to the hegemonic and anti-human policies of the United States and the Zionist (Israeli) regime," a statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces carried by the official IRNA news agency said.
The 27-nation bloc meanwhile also adopted visa bans and asset freezes on 21 state entities and Iranian officials — including the interior minister, prosecutor general and regional IRGC commanders — over the repression.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of over 3,000 people, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by "rioters."
The EU sanctioned 15 Iranian officials over the country's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests, including top commanders of its Revolutionary Guard, ahead of an expected decision to name the entire paramilitary organisation as a terrorist group.
"If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as terrorists," top diplomat Kaja Kallas told journalists ahead of a ministers' meeting in Brussels, adding that the step puts the Guards on the same level as militant groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh group.
The EU has sanctioned Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi Azad, as well as Iman Afshari, a presiding judge, the Council said.
"They were all involved in the violent repression of peaceful protests and the arbitrary arrest of political activists and human rights defenders," the Council said in a statement.
However, Iran has warned of "destructive consequences" if the designation is greenlit, state media reported Tuesday.
'POTENTIAL FOR NEGOTIATIONS'
Iranian officials have also ratcheted up warnings that Tehran would respond forcefully to any US military action, while not ruling out diplomatic solutions.
Iran's army chief Amir Hatami on Thursday vowed a "crushing response" to any attack, according to state television, which reported 1,000 "strategic drones" had joined the combat regiments.
A US naval strike group arrived in Middle East waters on Monday, with Trump warning it was "ready, willing and able" to hit Iran "if necessary." He said that "time is running out" for Iran to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.
The United States had hit Iranian nuclear targets when it briefly joined Israel's war against Iran in June.
Iran's neighbours, including Gulf states that host US military sites, have called for calm.
Turkey on Thursday said it would offer to mediate between Washington and Tehran during an upcoming visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after Ankara's top diplomat urged Washington to start nuclear talks with Tehran.
"It's wrong to attack Iran. It's wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al Jazeera television in English.
Nato member Turkey is also weighing contingency plans along its 530-kilometre (330-mile) border with Iran should the dispute escalate, a senior official told AFP.
Iran ally Russia on Thursday also said "the potential for negotiations is not exhausted."
"Any use of force can only create chaos in the region and lead to very dangerous consequences," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in a call with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot stressed the need for "the resumption of dialogue between the United States and Iran regarding the Iranian nuclear file," Cairo said.
MOUNTING TOLL
Trump's recent statements have focused more on Iran's nuclear programme than the fate of protesters in the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in late December and peaked on January 8 and 9.
In an updated toll, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had confirmed that 6,373 people had been killed and more than 40,000 arrested, as internet restrictions persisted after a shutdown imposed on January 8.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of more than 3,000 deaths, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by "rioters".
In the capital Tehran, a large banner displayed an image from a pro-government protest held on January 12 against what officials called "foreign-instigated riots."
Agence France-Presse