Gregory Meeks: “The United States designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, as a foreign terrorist organization, an…”

“The United States designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, as a foreign terrorist organization, an FTO, in April 2019 because of its record of terrorism, violation of the laws of armed conflict, assassination attempts, and significant support for regional terrorist groups. Our designation has helped limit the IRGC's ability to access the United States' markets. Unfortunately, EU markets, absent a similar terror designation, remain viable sources of IRGC income. The IRGC clearly represents a threat to both American and European security. We must join forces to limit the IRGC's access to capital. It is long past time for the EU to act, as a combination of U.S. and EU designations would have a major impact and will help save lives. This resolution calls on the EU to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran as an addition to the EU terror list. Amidst IRGC's ongoing support of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, EU's reluctance risks emboldening the Iranian Government's goal of sowing terror and chaos in the West. The IRGC clearly presents a threat to the EU and our collective security. It is long past time to cut off its resources and hold Iran accountable. Working together, we can contain and diminish Iranian terrorism and make the world safer for Americans and Europeans alike. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.”