Iran Urges EU to 'Think Carefully' Before Labeling IRGC as Terrorist: Report

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Speaker of the Iranian parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has urged the European Union to "think carefully" before putting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its terrorist list and called for preventing the severance of diplomatic relations, media reported on Sunday.

Ghalibaf warned the EU that the Iranian parliament would take "retaliatory, swift and decisive action" against the bloc's plan to list the IRGC as a terrorist group, Iranian news agency reported. In particular, Tehran will designate the armed forces of the EU member states as terrorist organizations if the move takes place, the Iranian lawmaker was cited as saying by the news outlet.

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for additional sanctions against Iran over human rights violations committed during the mass protests in the country, including death sentences against demonstrators, and alleged weapons supplies to Russia. Lawmakers also urged the EU to put the IRGC on the terrorist list for being involved in these alleged activities.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a phone call that the EU parliament's intention would have negative consequences.