US Considers Removing Iran Revolutionary Guards From Terror Blacklist

Move would be part of side deal to deescalate regional tensions

In a move not directly part of the Iran nuclear deal, but clearly not entirely unrelated, the Biden Administration is considering a side deal that would see the Iranian Revolutionary Guards removed from the terrorist blacklist.

Rumors to that effect have been circulating for awhile, with Republican Senators’ opposition to the nuclear deal coming in part because of the possibility of such a move, even if the deal and the list removal aren’t tied to one another.

The reports suggest that this side deal is part of an effort to try to deescalate regional tensions outside of the nuclear deal, and that taking the Guards off the watchlist, a reversible measure, would be a step in that direction.

Former Vice President Mike Pence told the Israelis that there was such a plan, and unsurprisingly Israel is opposed. The Israelis are claiming that the State Department told them the reports were not accurate and no decision on the separate deal is made.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.