Salehi: We Consider Possible Sanctions on the IRGC as a Declaration of War

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated that the Islamic Republic considers the potential designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and its subsequent sanctions by the United States as 'a declaration of war.' According to Fars News Agency on Thursday (October 20), Ali Akbar Salehi, who traveled to London at the invitation of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, expressed this to a group of international media analysts. Salehi stated, 'Considering that the army and armed forces are the guarantors of the preservation and security of any country,' the potential labeling and sanctioning of the IRGC by the U.S. is viewed as 'a declaration of war.' He added that 'if this action is implemented, it will be a sign of the hostile behavior of the U.S. government against the Iranian nation.' The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization also deemed a potential violation of the JCPOA by the United States as having 'international consequences' and noted that Tehran would 'make appropriate decisions based on the U.S. government's behavior in this regard.' According to him, the JCPOA monitoring committee has 'prepared various scenarios' and will 'implement them according to developments and current conditions.' Salehi reiterated that Iran has repeatedly stated it is not seeking 'nuclear weapons' and expressed Tehran's interest in preserving the JCPOA, 'but not at any cost.' He added that for this reason, in meetings with European officials, 'it was clearly stated… either everyone remains in the JCPOA or everyone will exit, and there is no third option.' Salehi expressed hope for the 'unblemished' advancement of the JCPOA and its liberation from what he called 'games that have no justification or rational basis,' adding that there is 'a kind of political turmoil' in the U.S. He continued that in recent meetings with European officials, 'I felt that European officials are also surprised by the turmoil and emotional and strange actions in the U.S. and wish matters would return to rationality.' Salehi's remarks come as U.S. President Donald Trump claims that the Islamic Republic has not adhered to the 'spirit of the nuclear agreement,' which is to alleviate Western concerns about Iran's threats, due to its continued missile activities. In this context, when Iran announced on the first of Mehr that it had tested a missile with a range of two thousand kilometers, Trump reacted with a tweet referencing the JCPOA: 'Iran has now tested a ballistic missile that can reach Israel. They are collaborating with North Korea; what a deal we have!' Salehi's statements on Thursday also come as some U.S. officials expect Trump to announce a new approach to the JCPOA as part of a new strategy regarding Iran and to place the IRGC on the list of terrorist organizations. This has led Hassan Rouhani to fully defend the IRGC, declaring it 'beloved by the people of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Kurds of Iraq.' Rouhani stated in a cabinet meeting that 'there is no disagreement among our factions to confront the enemies' conspiracy' and 'if the U.S. commits the next mistake and takes action against the IRGC, that would be a mistake upon mistake.' His comprehensive support for the IRGC has faced negative reactions from some Persian-speaking social media activists, who believe Rouhani's previous criticisms of the IRGC are inconsistent with his current support. ISNA reported on Thursday that Amir Hatami, the Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support, also reacted to the recent positions of the U.S. government and officials, stating: 'Any aggression against the pillars of the system, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is considered an aggression against the entire system.' He described the IRGC as an entity 'belonging to all the nations of the region' and emphasized the 'unity' of the Islamic Republic's army with the IRGC.