Trump authorized the Treasury department to sanction the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp and now they have done so.
Breaking: US declares Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorist group. pic.twitter.com/MtuVSuzFr1
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 13, 2017
.@USTreasury designates Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps for supporting terror groups. Imposes sanctions on 5 businesses with ties to IRGC.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 13, 2017
Designating IRGC as a terrorist group has been long overdue. It's the Shiite version of ISIS bringing death to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen.
— Julie Lenarz (@MsJulieLenarz) October 13, 2017
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is now sanctioned as a terror org. Major step in rt direction. As big an impact as IranDeal
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) October 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/918887552576208896
Buzzfeed explains the move in more detail:
President Donald Trump defied world powers on Friday and moved to decertify the Iran nuclear deal – an expression of disapproval that America’s strongest allies warned could eventually unravel the landmark agreement and bring the US closer to another conflict in the Middle East.
But another move Trump is taking on Friday could have a far more sweeping impact on US foreign policy in the Middle East: Labeling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists under an obscure Treasury Department designation.
At 1:30 p.m., the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control will designate the IRGC under its 13224 terrorist category, a senior State Department official told BuzzFeed News. In a speech this afternoon, Trump will herald the move, which marks the first time Washington has labeled the military branch of another country as terrorists.
Given the expansive role the IRGC plays in Iranian society, designating the group as a terrorist organization could have an array of political, military and economic ramifications, experts said.
In a briefing to reporters on Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the actions against the IRGC were necessary to curb Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region.
“These will be targeted sanctions against individuals, possible entities that are owned or partially owned by the IRGC that are directly supporting these terrorist activities whether its weapons exports, or weapons components, or cyber activities or its movement of weapons and fighters around,” he said.
“The Treasury secretary’s going to have broad latitude to being able to identify those and impose additional sanctions,” he added.
While this is great news, there is one caveat:
WH tells CNN Trump IS designating IRGC terror org under "Treasury Dept authorities". BUT State Dept is not designating IRGC For. Terror Org. https://t.co/DhN2mjqJJg
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 13, 2017
Treasury Clarification: Is the IRGC now a Foreign Terrorist Organization?
— Michael Wilner (@mawilner) October 13, 2017
No. The Department of State has not designated the IRGC as an FTO.
But US Treasury action stops short of designating the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror group itself, but can still seize assets.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 13, 2017
So it sounds like this is a more nuanced way of sanctioning the IRGC without upsetting the current Iran deal that was just decertified today. That’s my guess.