In a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, Amirabdollahian held talks with four Iranian lawmakers who have been named in the list of sanctions recently imposed by the European Union.
Commenting on the European Parliament’s push to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the foreign minister said he had talked with the EU officials about this belligerent gesture two months ago when the issue was mooted.
Amirabdollahian said he had already made it clear for the EU officials that if the IRGC becomes the target of an action that may affect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sovereign establishment or the country’s official military force, Tehran’s “reaction and response will be very tough”.
The Europeans themselves are aware of their status and vulnerabilities in this regard, he noted, adding that after the European Parliament’s non-binding resolution against the IRGC, the EU council of ministers conducted considerable debate and came to the conclusion that “they cannot play with fire.”
So the EU opted for a second scenario and imposed sanctions on many Iranian entities and individuals, including the four lawmakers, he stated.
The recent move by the European Parliament has been strongly condemned by Iranian officials, commanders, and armed forces.
In remarks at a parliamentary meeting last week, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned of swift retaliatory action against the European Parliament’s plan to blacklist the IRGC, saying Iran is going to designate the armies of the European states in the region as terrorist organizations.