By Kayhan Life Staff
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson has said that Sweden is pursuing an official classification from the European Union (EU) to recognize the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
In comments reported by the Stockholm-based Expressen newspaper on Oct. 13, Kristersson urged the EU to address “the incredibly problematic connection between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and their destructive role in the region but also their escalating actions around various European countries.”
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The Swedish Security Service (SAPO) previously accused the Iranian government of enlisting members from Swedish criminal gangs to conduct “violent acts” targeting Israel and Jewish individuals.
According to reports from Swedish sources, the recent assaults on Israeli embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen, which occurred following the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, were allegedly orchestrated by the Iranian regime.
In 2023, the Swedish Parliament passed a resolution to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization. This decision followed the execution of Habib Farajollah Chaab, an Iranian-Swedish citizen and the founder of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz. Agents from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence deceived Chaab into traveling to Turkey, where they abducted him and subsequently executed him in Iran.
An analysis piece published on Sept. 25 by Kayhan London — Kayhan Life’s sister publication, which is in the Persian language – said that in recent days, security, and intelligence agencies from European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and Italy, have submitted reports to their respective governments warning of an elevated risk of terrorist activities linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran. These reports primarily emphasize the involvement of ‘Unit 840,’ which serves as the foreign operations branch of the IRGC.
The QF, which serves as the extraterritorial branch of the IRGC, created Unit 840 several years ago, according to the report. The primary aim of this unit is to engage in terrorist activities outside of Iran, targeting Western countries and their allies. The London Metropolitan Police have reportedly identified and disrupted 16 terrorist plots linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran since 2022.
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Naji Sharifi Zindashti, an Iranian national with residences in both Iran and Turkey, is on the FBI’s ‘most wanted list’ for ‘conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.’ U.S. authorities accuse him of orchestrating international assassination and drug smuggling operations.
U.S. officials allege that Sharifi Zindashti recruited a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, along with an accomplice, to assassinate a former Iranian intelligence officer who had moved to the U.S. and was living in Maryland. They claim that Ramin Yektaparast, an Iranian-German drug trafficker who has since fled to Iran, played a role in aiding Sharifi Zindashti in this plot,” the writer added. “Sharifi Zindashti is also accused by Turkey of assassinating Saeed Karimian, the founder and owner of Dubai-based GEM TV, in Istanbul on April 29, 2017.
In the EU, several initiatives have been undertaken over the past two years to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization; however, these efforts encounter significant challenges from various political factions.
A prominent opponent of labeling the IRGC as terrorists is Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Borrell has faced substantial criticism for his approach of seeking to engage with the Iranian regime rather than adopting a confrontational stance.
During a meeting of the EU Parliament in May of this year, Borrell argued that the legal grounds for designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization had not been met. Responding to Borrell’s argument, Charlie Weimers, a member of the European Parliament from Sweden since 2019, called Borrell “a liar.”
“That is nonsense. Here, I have the Council’s secret legal opinion. Nowhere in this document does it say it must be an authority in the EU. You know that,” Weimers said. “You knew the truth. You shamelessly lied to protect the IRGC. We will not miss you, Mr. Borrell, but I am sure the mullahs will.”
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will succeed Borrell as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
According to unofficial sources, a significant factor behind Europe’s and Britain’s reluctance to label the IRGC as a terrorist organization is the potential loss of communication channels with the Iranian regime.
A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department told Kayhan London in May: “We urge our allies and partners to use any suitable measures to exert pressure on the IRGC, but the ultimate decision rests with the individual countries or the EU, depending on the legal mechanisms and authorities available to them. They are proceeding in accordance with their national interests.”
In response to the ongoing arms support provided by the Islamic Republic to Russia, the EU has implemented new measures aimed at designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
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On Oct. 7, 2024, the Parliament of Lithuania officially classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.
Earlier in May of this year, the German media reported that several EU member states, including Germany, were advocating for this classification based on a ruling from the Higher Regional Court of Dusseldorf.
Subsequently, in June, it was revealed that the legal division of the European External Action Service (EEAS) had accepted Germany’s proposal to label the IRGC as a terrorist group, starting the formal process to add this organization to the EU’s list of designated terrorist groups.
This matter was discussed during a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Oct. 13.
A court in Dusseldorf had made a ruling in December 2023 regarding an attempt by agents of the Islamic Republic to set fire to a synagogue.
In July 2024, Germany’s request to reassess the IRGC’s classification as a terrorist organization was approved based on the Dusseldorf Court’s ruling. Subsequently, the Canadian government added the IRGC to its list of terrorist groups.
