Iran blacklists U.S. forces in West Asia as "terrorist group"

Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Monday announced U.S. Central Command forces in West Asia as "terrorist group," the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council considers the U.S. government as the "sponsor of terrorism" and announces the U.S. Central Command and its affiliated forces in West Asia as a "terrorist group," according to a statement by the council.

"Iran strongly condemns the illegal and dangerous move by the United States to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) a foreign terrorist organization," it added.

This "baseless" U.S. measure vis-a-vis the IRGC endangers peace and security in the region and the world, and "it is an ostensible violation of international law and the UN charter," it noted.

"While the United States and its allies supported the extremist and terrorist groups in West Asia, the IRGC has been in the forefront of battle against terrorism and extremism in the region," it said.

Washington should be blamed for "all the dangerous consequences of its adventurous measure" by blacklisting the IRGC, the statement added.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States designates the IRGC as a "foreign terrorist organization," a move that will further worsen U.S.-Iran relations and is expected to further complicate the Middle East situation.

"Today, I am formally announcing my Administration's plan to designate IRGC, including its Qods Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act," Trump said in a statement issued by the White House.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)