The government has issued scathing public criticism of any attempt to remove the terrorism designation of the Security Guard Corps. Islamic revolution.
- Senior US officials say a failure to quickly reach a compromise with Iran on the issue could lead to a breakdown in negotiations which, in nearly a year, have resolved almost all other disagreements.
- The United States has accused the guards of killing hundreds of Americans, while its elite Quds Force has organized weapons and support for proxy forces throughout the region and for pro-Iranian groups that fought in Syria.
- The IRGC has long faced US sanctions over its ballistic missile programs and alleged human rights abuses and was placed on the terrorism sanctions list in 2017.
- Those who support the compromise argue that the terrorist designation alone will prevent foreign companies from doing business with Iranian companies linked to the Guardians, mitigating the economic benefits of any nuclear deal for Iran.
- Opponents argue that listing as a foreign terrorist organization is a necessary and punitive deterrent.
- While Iran says it is not trying to build nuclear weapons, a look at its key facilities suggests it could be developing the technology to build them.
- The WSJ breaks down Tehran’s capabilities as it takes new steps in uranium enrichment and limits access to inspectors. Photo illustration: George Downs
- In advocating for the lifting of terrorism sanctions, US officials said the threat posed by the IRGC and other terrorist entities would be much worse if Iran obtained nuclear weapons.
- Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is now weeks away from having enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb, according to the UN atomic agency.
- The split over the IRGC’s designation of terrorism comes at a critical juncture in talks about what steps Washington and Tehran will take to re-comply with an agreement the US withdrew under former President Donald Trump and which the Iran has since breached with a massive expansion of its nuclear work. The deal lifted most international sanctions on Iran in exchange for tough but temporary restrictions on its nuclear program.
- According to those involved in the talks, the US offer would remove the IRGC from the US list of foreign terrorist organizations if Iran agrees to curb its regional aggression and refrains from targeting Americans. If Iran does not comply with the agreement, the listing could be reimposed.
- Iran, which refuses to negotiate directly with Washington, has yet to respond, creating a stalemate that senior US officials say could jeopardize a deal.
Political | Process 
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