On Monday, April 8, the White House announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now designated as a terrorist group. In the statement, President Trump announced that the IRGC and especially its international branch the Quds Force (Quds=Jerusalem) will be identified as a “foreign terrorist organization” based on article 219 of immigration and nationality law.

He described this act as “unprecedented step led by the Department of State”, that “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.”

According to President Trump, the IRGC is the main instrument of control and execution for the international terrorism movement for the Islamic Republic regime of Iran.

He also warned against any cooperation with the IRGC and said: “If you are dealing with IRGC, you are involved in financial support of terrorism.”

He ended the statement by promising: “We will continue our campaign of maximum financial pressure until the regime of Iran changes its evil rogue behavior.”

Iran’s supreme council of national security in response announced that from now on Iran will identify the United States as a government sponsor of terrorism and all U.S forces as a terrorist group.

Benjamin Netanyahu thanked president Trump in a Tweet.

Yesterday, the commander of IRGC, Mohammad Ali Jafari, described this effort by the United States as idiotic, and threatened that “the military and security forces of the United States will no longer enjoy the peace as they do today.”

Many high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, including the speaker of the parliament and the foreign minister, have criticized this decision by the United States.