Raphaël Glucksmann Urges the EU to Designate Iranian Revolutionary Guards as Terrorists

Raphaël Glucksmann, a French political figure and potential presidential candidate, has publicly criticized the European Union for its passive approach towards the situation in Iran, calling for decisive action. Speaking on France Inter, Glucksmann demanded that the EU stop issuing mere statements and instead classify the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the regime's military wing, as a terrorist organization. According to him, such a designation would empower the EU to monitor the Revolutionary Guards financially, target their leaders, and sever commercial ties, thereby weakening the Iranian regime.

Glucksmann expressed skepticism about unilateral actions by the United States, referencing the failure of American efforts in Venezuela, and stressed the importance for Europe to assert its own sovereignty. He warned that without firm action, the EU risks losing influence and could inadvertently enable the rise of extremist forces on the continent through increased American interference.

This call comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between France and Iran, exemplified by the trial beginning in Paris on January 13, 2026, of a woman accused of terrorism advocacy, whose arrest was connected to efforts to negotiate the release of two French nationals detained in Iran. This underlines the geopolitical complexities and the urgent need for coherent European policies regarding Iran.

Glucksmann concluded by emphasizing the EU's economic power and the necessity of moving beyond commentary to concrete measures against Tehran's regime, which he described as needing to fall.