Iraqi official: US angry with IRGC success against terrorism

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq in a statement referred to recent US ract against the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as indicating Washington’s anger of its successes and victory in fighting terrorism.

In his statement which was released on Friday, Baha Araji said the US act is regarded as a victory for the IRGC since all those countries opposing US policies will stand by the IRGC and will even develop their cooperation with the Iranian official military organization. 

He added that the US measure to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization shows that the US has been hit seriously by the IRGC.

He said that due to unilateral and illegitimate nature of the US choice it will not be binding, adding that it was in the framework of cold war between Iran and the US.

‘The IRGC is the Iranian government’s primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign,’ US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Monday.

‘We will continue to increase financial pressure and raise the costs on the Iranian regime for its support of terrorist activity until it abandons its malign and outlaw behavior,’ Trump said.

In reaction to the US designation, Iran’s Ambassador to London Hamid Baeedinejad said the US move against the IRGC at a time when the Iranian military body is helping the flood-hit people with all in power is a gift to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to assist him in the elections.

The latest anti-Iran move of Trump was also met with fierce reactions from Iranian officials.

Foreign Minister Zarif recommended that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) should add American forces in West Asia, known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), to its terrorist groups’ list.

In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, he also called for a retaliatory move by labeling the United States Central Command as a terrorist organization and the US government as a terrorist sponsor.

Zarif described the move as ‘another misguided election-eve gift to Netanyahu’.

In a related development, Chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh announced on April 8 before the US anti-IRGC decision that Iranian parliament has prepared a double-urgency bill which will be approved in case the US takes possible measures against IRGC.

Falahatpisheh said that if it happens, Iran declares the US military forces as a terrorist group like Daesh (ISIS).

The members of Iranian parliament at Tuesday’s session showed up in official uniforms of IRGC to announce their support and solidarity with the forces.

To support the IRGC, 255 out of 290 Iranian lawmakers issued a statement on April 8, stressing that the Majlis will respond reciprocally to any measure against IRGC as part of the Iranian military forces.

Majlis through its statement described IRGC as one of the great achievements gained after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.