The Center-Right Union in the German Parliament Calls for Designating the IRGC as a 'Terrorist Organization'

Members of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union faction in the German Parliament have called for a fundamental change in Berlin's policy towards the Islamic Republic, aiming to 'weaken and isolate' Tehran, including a proposal to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization in Germany and the European Union. This group has recently described the Islamic Republic as 'an enemy of peace, freedom, and women.' According to German media reports on Wednesday, July 4, the faction published a document outlining its parliamentary positions in the Bundestag the day before, urging the German government to fundamentally transform its approach to Iran. The parliamentary group characterized the Iranian government as 'an obvious enemy of Germany in all areas' and stated that it is time for Berlin to reassess its policy towards Tehran. The group of Bundestag representatives believes that the Tehran government 'must be weakened and isolated' to end 'brutal violence against its own people' and to neutralize 'threats and harm to the region and the entire world.' The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union faction has proposed including the IRGC in the terrorist lists of all EU countries and has suggested forming an alliance between Germany and moderate Arab countries, signatories of the Abraham Accords, and Saudi Arabia on a larger scale. Several European countries are seeking to designate the IRGC as a 'terrorist organization.' Members of this party have also emphasized the need to stop the Iranian nuclear program and called for closer cooperation among the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, and the United States to adopt a 'coherent and actionable strategy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons' and to prevent Iran from circumventing sanctions. This group of lawmakers has also proposed banning the activities of any institution in Germany that acts as a source of information or an agent of influence for the Iranian government. They have emphasized the need to close the Islamic Center in Hamburg as well. The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union faction has also suggested intensifying actions against clerics and other Iranian officials whose approaches lead to the harassment of women in Iran. Germany and the European Union have rejected calls from opponents of the Islamic Republic and some German lawmakers, such as Hannah Neumann, during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, stating that no court ruling has been issued in this continent to facilitate such a possibility. However, German media reported last month, citing EU diplomats, that the legal circle of the European Council confirmed requests from the German delegation and delegations from several other countries that a ruling issued six months ago by the Düsseldorf court may provide a basis for designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The Düsseldorf court last winter convicted an Iranian citizen for attempting to attack a Jewish synagogue as part of a mission assigned by the IRGC. Additionally, European Parliament representatives called for the IRGC to be designated as a terrorist organization two weeks after the Islamic Republic's direct military attack on April 14, launching hundreds of missiles and sending dozens of explosive drones towards Israel. The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned the European Union against labeling the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The positions of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union align with the need for a new approach by Germany and the European Union towards the Islamic Republic and the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization shortly after the recent European Parliament elections and amidst severe political turmoil in Germany. Markus Söder, the leader of the Bavarian conservatives (CSU), recently called for early elections in Germany, similar to France, emphasizing that the ruling three-party coalition has lost the support of the majority of the German people. The conservative Christian Democrats in Germany received 30% of the votes in last month's European elections, while Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party, the Chancellor of Germany, garnered 14%, which was two percent less than the right-wing 'Alternative for Germany' party. The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, with a center-right inclination, is formed from the union of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU). Angela Merkel led this union for 18 years, during which Berlin-Tehran relations experienced ups and downs but remained relatively stable and active. Canada designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization last month. However, unlike Germany and EU countries, the Ottawa government has not had relations with Iran for many years, and the two countries do not have embassies or ambassadors in each other's territories.