Suspected IRGC operatives retain diplomatic cover in EU

The EU’s decision earlier this year to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation has opened a thorny new question for European governments: what to do about Iranian military attachés serving in EU capitals.

The allegations come as European capitals reassess their approach to Tehran following the EU’s decision in January to blacklist the IRGC. Critics argue that allowing military representatives allegedly tied to the Guards to remain accredited risks undermining the bloc’s own counter-terrorism policy.

The report also paints a picture of an Iranian state increasingly dominated by the Revolutionary Guards following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It describes IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi as the country’s de facto decision-maker and claims the Guards now exert control over Iran’s security apparatus, parliament and strategic negotiations with Washington.

Read more: Euractiv