DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a significant escalation of diplomatic tensions, Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared on Sunday that the Islamic Republic now formally considers all European Union military forces to be terrorist organizations. This provocative announcement comes as direct retaliation for the EU’s recent designation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist entity following the paramilitary force’s brutal suppression of nationwide protests.
Qalibaf, himself a former Revolutionary Guard commander, delivered the statement while he and fellow legislators wore military uniforms in a show of solidarity with the controversial force. The reciprocal terrorist designation, while largely symbolic under Iran’s 2019 legal framework previously used against U.S. forces, signals deteriorating relations between Tehran and Western powers.
The rhetorical exchange occurs against a backdrop of heightened military alertness in the Persian Gulf region. Iran has scheduled live-fire military exercises for Sunday and Monday in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz—the critical maritime passage through which approximately 20% of globally traded oil transits. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to evaluate potential military options against Iran, establishing clear red lines regarding the treatment of protesters and nuclear development activities.
Qalibaf condemned the European decision as strategically misguided, asserting that ‘By seeking to strike at the Revolutionary Guard, which itself has been the greatest barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have in fact shot themselves in the foot.’ The parliamentary session concluded with lawmakers chanting ‘Death to America!’ and ‘Death to Israel!’—reflective of the hardline position dominating Iranian policy.
The geopolitical standoff extends to Iran’s nuclear program, with Trump emphasizing the need for a ‘satisfactory’ agreement to prevent nuclear weapons development. While Iranian security official Ali Larijani indicated progress in ‘structural arrangements for negotiations’ via social media, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei maintains his prohibition on direct talks with the United States, leaving diplomatic channels strained despite Trump’s assertion that ‘they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.’