Brussels, Jan 29 — The European Union has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organisation” and imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian officials, as tensions with the United States escalated following the deployment of American warships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The move came after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, who also approved travel bans and asset freezes on Iranian figures over what the bloc said was the killing of thousands of anti-government protesters in recent months.
Hours later, Iran issued a sharp warning after US President Donald Trump repeated threats of military action. “Iran’s armed forces are ready to respond immediately and powerfully to any possible attack by the United States,” Iran’s foreign minister said.
The United States has in recent days moved major military assets into the Arabian Sea, including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, amid rising tensions.
Meanwhile, Iran announced it would conduct live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz next week — a strategic waterway through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. The Associated Press reported that Iran had issued formal warnings to ships at sea about the drills, while state-run Press TV confirmed the exercises without specifying exact dates.
The developments followed a separate diplomatic shift in Europe-US trade ties, after President Trump eased tariffs on European Union countries following discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
With sanctions tightening and military posturing increasing on both sides, fears are growing over possible disruption to global energy supplies and a wider confrontation in the Gulf.