European Union
EU Designates Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as Terrorist Organisation in New Sanctions Move
Europe Blacklists Iran’s IRGC Under Counterterrorism Regime
Date: 19.2.2026
The EU Council has formally decided to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran as a terrorist organisation, following the political agreement reached by the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January. With this designation, the IRGC becomes subject to the EU’s counterterrorism sanctions regime, which entails freezing its funds and other financial or economic assets held in EU member states, as well as prohibiting EU operators from making funds or economic resources available to the group. This addition brings the total number of persons, groups and entities listed under the EU terrorist list to 13 individuals and 23 organisations.
The EU terrorist list, established under Common Position 2001/931/CFSP, functions separately from the EU’s implementation of UN Security Council resolutions targeting Al-Qaida and ISIL/Da’esh, though the EU may also impose its own autonomous restrictive measures on those groups and on individuals or entities supporting them, or those enabling violent actions by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
On 19 February 2026, through Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/421, the EU updated the list attached to Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 to include an additional entity determined by competent authorities to be involved in terrorist acts as defined by Common Position 2001/931/CFSP. The amendment enters into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The updated annex adds one new entity under “Groups and entities”: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
2026/421
19.2.2026
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2026/421
of 19 February 2026
amending Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 updating the list of persons, groups and entities covered by Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
(1) On 27 December 2001, the Council adopted Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (1).
(2) On 29 July 2025, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 (2). That Decision establishes an updated list of persons, groups and entities to which the measures in Articles 2 and 3 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP apply.
(3) The Council has determined that competent authorities within the meaning of Article 1(4) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP have adopted decisions in respect of one entity involved in terrorist acts within the meaning of Article 1(3) of that Common Position, and that the measures in Articles 2 and 3 of that Common Position should be applied to that entity.
(4) The list of persons, groups and entities in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 should be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 19 February 2026.
For the Council
The President
M. RAOUNA
(1) Council Common Position 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 93, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/compos/2001/931/oj).
(2) Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 of 29 July 2025 updating the list of persons, groups and entities covered by Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2025/207 (OJ L, 2025/1577, 30.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1577/oj).
ANNEX
In the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577, the following entity is added under the heading ‘II. Groups and entities:
‘23. “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”.’.
Read More
Keir Starmer on Iran: The UK would not be involved in the strikes on Iran
Britain authorized the US to use UK bases for “specific and limited” defensive operations
