Iran declares US 'state sponsor of terrorism'

Trump Russia Probe White House US President Donald Trump | AP

Iran designated US as a 'state sponsor of terrorism' in a tit for tat move after the US recognised Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation. “The IRGC is the Iranian government's primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign,” Trump said in a statement. The Supreme National Security Council of Iran slammed Washington's move as an “illegal and foolish act”.

It also declared 'the Central Command of America, known as CENTCOM' and all forces related to it 'terrorist groups'.” The Council further said that the move poses a "major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law.”

Multiple war zones and hotspots including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the Gulf are covered under CENTCOM.

It is the first time the United States has applied the designation to part of a foreign government, rather than guerrilla groups or other informal entities. The move came as part of already far-reaching attempts to undermine the Iranian government.

According to President Trump, the move “recognises the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft”. It was justified as an important step to counter the Iranian regime's terrorism by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.