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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/08/trump-designates-irans-revolutionary-guards-as-foreign-terrorist-organization
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Trump designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as foreign terrorist organization | Trump designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as foreign terrorist organization |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The United States has designated Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization, Donald Trump said on Monday, marking the first time Washington has formally labeled another country’s military a terrorist group. | The United States has designated Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization, Donald Trump said on Monday, marking the first time Washington has formally labeled another country’s military a terrorist group. |
| In a statement, Trump said this unprecedented step, “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a state sponsor of terrorism, but that the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft”. | |
| Critics have warned that the move could open US military and intelligence officials to similar actions by unfriendly governments. The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but not the organization as a whole. | Critics have warned that the move could open US military and intelligence officials to similar actions by unfriendly governments. The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but not the organization as a whole. |
| Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, a strident critic of Iran, has pushed for the change in US policy as part of the Trump administration’s tough posture toward Tehran. Pompeo told a news conference the designation will take effect in one week. | |
| Experts have said it was unclear how much concrete difference the terrorist designation would make. It is already heavily sanctioned by the US as a terrorist supporter, and Iran is designated a state sponsor of terrorism. | Experts have said it was unclear how much concrete difference the terrorist designation would make. It is already heavily sanctioned by the US as a terrorist supporter, and Iran is designated a state sponsor of terrorism. |
| The move is likely to increase the trepidation on the part of foreign companies when it comes to trading with or investing in Iran. | The move is likely to increase the trepidation on the part of foreign companies when it comes to trading with or investing in Iran. |
| It will also complicate diplomacy. Without exclusions or waivers to the designation, US troops and diplomats could be barred from contact with Iraqi or Lebanese authorities who interact with Guard officials or surrogates. | |
| “This action will significantly expand the scope and scale of our maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. It makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC. If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism,” Trump said. | “This action will significantly expand the scope and scale of our maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. It makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC. If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism,” Trump said. |
| The IRGC controls a large slice of the Iranian economy (the Trump administration claims up to half), and the US treasury and state department have stressed that the onus is on foreign companies to find out if the partners they deal with in Iran are tied to sanctioned groups. | The IRGC controls a large slice of the Iranian economy (the Trump administration claims up to half), and the US treasury and state department have stressed that the onus is on foreign companies to find out if the partners they deal with in Iran are tied to sanctioned groups. |
| After reports of the designation emerged late on Friday, Iran warned it will take reciprocal action. | |
| “We will answer any action taken against this force with a reciprocal action,” a statement issued by 255 out of the 290 Iranian lawmakers said, according to IRNA. | |
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