In a decisive political move, the Belgian Parliament has passed a landmark resolution urging the European Union to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. The resolution was approved in the early hours of Friday, July 18, 2025, with an overwhelming majority: 135 votes in favor, 14 abstentions, and no opposition. This action underscores Belgium’s growing concern over the IRGC’s role in regional conflicts, human rights abuses, and terrorism, alongside a call for tougher sanctions on Tehran.
Background and Significance of the Resolution
The IRGC, an elite branch of Iran’s armed forces established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, wields significant power both within Iran and throughout the Middle East. Internationally, the United States declared the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2019—a designation that Canada also recognizes. However, prior to Belgium’s move, the European Union had refrained from applying the same label, despite repeated calls from the European Parliament and some member states.
The January 2023 resolution by the European Parliament had already called on the Council of the European Union to add the IRGC to the EU terrorist list, citing Iran’s malign activities including repression of protests and supplying arms to Russia in the Ukraine conflict. However, this resolution was not acted upon by the EU Council, leaving a gap in a unified European stance against the IRGC.
Belgium’s recent parliamentary resolution reignites this demand with greater political force. MP Darya Safai, who led the campaign, described the IRGC as “a murder machine that not only wages war against the Iranian people in Iran but also spreads terror and murder throughout the region through its proxies,” citing Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Safai declared,
“Today is the day that justice will be served, a day that the victims of this regime will always remember as a victory against their murderers.”
Political Support and Coalition Agreement
Belgium’s bipartisan political support for designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity was evident well before the resolution’s final approval. The proposal received backing from the Belgian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee earlier in July 2025 and had political overtures from then-Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. The newly formed coalition government under Prime Minister Bart De Wever made this stance explicit in its 2025–2029 Federal Coalition Agreement. The document states clearly,
“The government advocates for the inclusion of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations.”
It also condemns Tehran’s human rights violations and the repression of women, emphasizing Belgium’s commitment to coordinated EU efforts to prevent Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions.
The resolution not only calls for the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist organization but also urges the “unconditional and immediate release” of Professor Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic sentenced to death by Iran on espionage charges, which he denies. Djalali’s case has become emblematic of Iran’s repression and use of political prisoners as bargaining chips.
Human Rights Concerns and Regional Destabilization
The Belgian Parliament’s resolution is one of the strongest parliamentary condemnations of the Iranian regime within Europe. It highlights an alarming rise in executions in Iran, using the death penalty as a tool to suppress dissent and terrorize political opponents documented by Amnesty International with nearly a thousand executions in 2024 alone. The resolution specifically condemns the Iranian regime’s use of executions against political prisoners and protesters, including high-profile cases such as Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani.
Furthermore, the IRGC is accused of fueling instability across multiple conflict zones by supporting proxies involved in warfare and terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. This role underscores the international security threat posed by the IRGC beyond Iran’s borders.
Calls for EU Action and Expanded Sanctions
Belgium’s resolution explicitly calls on the European Union to:
- Designate the IRGC itself as a terrorist organization, imposing all legal consequences derived from such classification.
- Expand the EU’s sanctions list to include Iranian judges, prison officials, and members of the regime responsible for human rights violations and executions.
- Strengthen and widen economic sanctions against Tehran, aiming to curtail the regime’s capacity to finance repression and regional destabilization.
This comprehensive approach reflects a growing consensus among some European governments and lawmakers that stronger measures are required to hold the Iranian regime accountable. The European Parliament, in a resolution passed in April 2024, had already urged tougher sanctions on Tehran and supported listing both the IRGC and Hezbollah in their entirety as terrorist groups.
Darya Safai summarized the severity of the threat the IRGC poses, stating,
“The IRGC is involved in terrorism, arms trafficking, and support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, and it fuels conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.”
She called the resolution a historic step toward delivering justice and supporting victims of the regime.
Broader International Context and Implications
Reducing Iran’s malign influence by targeting the IRGC fits into a larger strategic framework led by the United States and its allies, who have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization since 2019. They have maintained pressure through sanctions and diplomatic isolation, seeking to limit Iran’s nuclear program and regional interference.
Belgium’s resolution adds European momentum for transforming rhetoric into legislative and executive action within the EU. There is growing anticipation that other European countries might follow Belgium’s example, potentially leading to a unified EU stance on the IRGC’s terrorist designation. According to Iranian-born Belgian MP and advocate Darya Safai,
“Belgium sends a strong message: terrorism must never go unpunished—even when it’s carried out by a state entity like the Revolutionary Guard.”
Challenges and Prospects for EU Designation
Despite widespread parliamentary support, the process of officially adding the IRGC to the EU’s terrorist list faces political and bureaucratic hurdles. Legal criteria for terrorist listing must be satisfied, and consensus among all EU member states is required. Some member states have expressed caution, wary of complicating relations with Tehran or the region’s geopolitical balances.
However, with Belgium leading decisively and EU foreign ministers actively working to overcome obstacles, there appears to be momentum in Brussels for a serious reconsideration. The designation would entail classifying all IRGC members as terrorists, restricting their movements, financial transactions, and cooperation with European entities. It would also impose severe diplomatic repercussions on Iran’s military and intelligence apparatus.
The Belgian Parliament’s resolution to list Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist organization marks a historic step in Europe’s response to Iran’s regional militancy and domestic repression. It aligns Belgium with the US and Canada, signaling that European countries are willing to take a tougher stance.
The resolution reflects growing European frustration with the Iranian regime’s abuses and destabilizing activities, demanding justice for victims and stronger sanctions to curb Tehran’s influence. As Europe watches closely, Belgium’s decision could become a catalyst for a broader EU consensus, fundamentally reshaping how the union confronts Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its network of terror.
Darya Safai concluded emphatically,
“Today is the day that justice will be served.”
The question remains whether the European Union will translate this imperative into binding, collective action soon.
