Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world, yet the wing of their military tasked with much of the dirty work has no such distinction.
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State Department officials were pressed on the issue last week in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, especially as the group makes efforts to acquire nuclear materials and carry out terror operations in the area.
One official, not authorized to speak on the record told the Washington Free Beacon:
“We believe the sanctions we have in place remain the most appropriate and effective tools for targeting the IRGC, and we are making full use of such authorities with respect to the IRGC. In addition to Iran’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, we have a substantial set of sanctions already in place against the IRGC.”
However, many members of the House and the Senate are not satisfied.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) had this to say:
“Branches of the [Revolutionary Guard Corps] have murdered hundreds of Americans,they have attacked our allies, notably Israel. They have provided material support for other designated terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Yet for years the United States has sanctioned [Revolutionary Guard Corps] entities while leaving the organization itself untouched.”
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From the Washington Free Beacon:
The State Department does not currently believe that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps should be designated as a foreign terrorist organization despite the military organization’s efforts to procure nuclear materials and conduct terrorist operations across the globe, according to a State Department official who spoke to theWashington Free Beacon.
Obama administration officials last week were hesitant to address the issue during testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. When asked to clarify its position on the corps, a State Department official told the Free Beacon that now is not the time to formally designate the military group as a terrorist organization.
Iranian officials have insisted that any new sanctions from the United States would be considered a violation of the recent nuclear deal and cause for Iran to walk away from the agreement.
Read more at the Washington Free Beacon
Should the IRGC be a terror organization? Let us know in the comments below!
