US considers removing IRGC from terror list: reports
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States is considering removing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from its terrorist organization blacklist in return for Iranian commitment to contain the force and de-escalate its actions in the region, according to reports on Wednesday by a source familiar with the matter.
The consideration comes as indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran are in their final change, and Iran claims it is waiting for the US to make a decision. The elite force has typically been a separate issue to Iran’s nuclear program.
Removing the terrorist designation would reverse the decision made by former US President Donald Trump and is expected to spark Republican uproar.
The Biden administration’s consideration was first reported by US news outlet Axios, citing official US and Israeli sources with knowledge on the matter.
According to the publication, the Biden administration is discussing the possibility of making a public announcement that the US can redesignate the force as a terror group if Iran does not comply with the terms and conditions set in a potential agreement.
Trump’s 2019 designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization was the first time a state force was added to the list.
Such a decision is likely to be concerning to Israel which has been a strong opponent of the restoration of the 2015 nuclear deal and views the IRGC as a threat to its national security.
Major concessions will have to be made by Iran in exchange, though what these are remains unclear.
The reports come days after the IRGC claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting Erbil on Sunday, and sparking widespread international condemnation.
On Wednesday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a phone call with the British Foreign Secretary, informing her that a good deal can be reached if the US respects Iran’s red lines and stops making new demands, Iranian state media reported.
Two British-Iranians, including highly mediatized Nazanin Zagheri-Ratcliffe, imprisoned for years in Iran were released on Wednesday, indicating that agreements are being reached between Iran and western powers.
Under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, the US withdrew from the nuclear accord in 2018 and introduced new sanctions in an effort to force Tehran to renegotiate a tougher deal. President Joe Biden has sought to return to the deal as Iran demands the lifting of all sanctions. In return, the US seeks to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
Negotiations in Vienna have been underway since last year, and progress is expected very soon.