*WASHINGTON – The United States will designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guardsas a terrorist organisation, an unprecedented move that would ramp uppressure on the elite force, The Wall Street Journal reportedlinkonFriday.*
The newspaper, quoting unnamed officials, said President Donald Trump’sadministration would announce the long-mulled decision as soon as Mondayand that concerned defence officials were bracing for the impact.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp was formed after the 1979 Islamicrevolution with a mission to defend the clerical regime, in contrast tomore traditional military units that protect borders.
The Revolutionary Guards have amassed strong power within Iran, includingwith significant economic interests.
The Guards’ prized unit is the Quds Force, named for the Arabic word forJerusalem, which supports forces allied with Iran around the regionincluding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
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The Trump administration has already imposed sweeping sanctions on Iranafter withdrawing last year from an international agreement under whichTehran drastically scaled back its nuclear program.
A foreign terrorist designation would make any activities of the grouptoxic for the United States, with any transactions involving USinstitutions or individuals subject to punishment.
*The Wall Street Journal* said that the Pentagon and the CIA hadreservations about the move, saying it would increase risks for US troopswithout doing much more to damage the Iranian economy. – APP/AFP
