Following the political agreement reached by the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January, the Council formally decided today to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran to the EU terrorist list.

Following its listing, the IRGC will also be subject to restrictive measures under the EU counterterrorism sanctions regime. This includes the freezing of its funds and other financial assets or economic resources in EU member states, and the prohibition for EU operators to make funds and economic resources available to the group.

As a consequence of today's decision, there are now 13 persons and 23 groups and entities subject to the restrictive measures under the so-called EU terrorist list.

Background

The EU Terrorist List, i.e. the sanctions regime set out in Common Position 2001/931/CFSP, is separate from the EU regime implementing UN Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) and targeting Al-Qaida and ISIL/Da'esh.

The EU may also apply restrictive measures autonomously to ISIL/Da'esh and Al-Qaida and persons and entities associated with or supporting them or against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/421 of 19 February 2026 amending Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 updating the list of persons, groups and entities covered by Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420 of 19 February 2026 implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism
• Sanctions against terrorism (background information)
• EU sanctions against Iran (background information)