Trump decision on Iran’s military force will destabilize region, says Iraq
nation’s military as a terrorist organization
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq criticized on Wednesday a decision taken by the U.S. administration to designate Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization.
“Our region is in dire need of decisions that help reinforce its stability…but the U.S. decision on the IRGC does not serve this goal,” Alforat News quoted Ahmed al-Sahhaf, the spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the move was meant to “significantly expand the scope and scale” of pressure on Iran.
Washington-Tehran tensions have risen since Mr Trump withdrew the US from the international Iran nuclear pact.
“This unprecedented step, led by the Department of State, 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,” he said.
“If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism,” Mr Trump said.
It is the first time for the U.S. to label another nation’s military as a terrorist organization. The move will allow the U.S. to impose further sanctions on Iran.