IRGC to boost defense power after US terror blacklisting

In a statement on Wednesday, the IRGC said Washington’s “illegal, unusual and unprecedented” move indicated the US’ “deep grudge and wrath” towards the IRGC.

US President Donald Trump on Monday released a statement, designating the IRGC as “a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

The IRGC statement said the US blacklisting of the force was the latest in a series of the White House’s back-to-back failures in the Middle East, and added that the US decision made the IRGC more determined to improve its defense and offensive capabilities.

“This unprecedented measure will make the IRGC more determined to speed up the promotion of its defense and offensive systems and capabilities as well as its regional growing power,” it added.

It said it would use powerful tit-for-tat approaches against the enemy to defend the achievements of the Islamic Revolution and safeguard national security under the supervision of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

‘US' IRGC blacklisting proves Iran’s power’
Meanwhile, General Hassan Firouzabadi, a senior military adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei, said on Wednesday that the US move to blacklist the IRGC as a terrorist group proved Washington’s powerlessness in the face of the Iranian nation.

“The US measure against the IRGC was the declaration of their powerlessness in the face of the Iranian nation’s power and resistance,” Firouzabadi told IRNA.

Asked about Iran’s possible move against the blacklisting, the commander said, “Time will determine our reciprocal move. We have not named all American forces terrorist. The issue was raised at the Supreme National Security Council and we designated the US Central Command in the region, known as CENTCOM, terrorist. This measure against CENTCOM was a tit-for-tat act against the IRGC [blacklisting].”