As grievances over the violent repression of protestors in Iran continue, some Iranian activists and protestors petition the United Kingdom and the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the main repressive apparatus of the Iranian government, as a terrorist organization. Recognizing the legal hurdles and the ensuing complications of such designation, UK and EU political leaders have so far refrained. Meanwhile, the IRGC has already been on the United States’ Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list for five years. The experience of the past 5 years juxtaposed to new international concerns about IRGC’s illegal and unconventional activities call for an assessment of potential and actual repercussions of sanctions for the IRGC.
Have sanctions curbed either the IRGC’s paramilitary activities in the Middle East or its domestic repressive power? The lecture addresses this issue by reviewing stated and implied agenda pursued by various proponents of IRGC’s terrorist designation, critical developments of the past five years in response to, or despite, the FTO listing in 2018, and potential scenarios going forward.
This lecture is part of the 'The Oxford School of Global and Area Studies Lecture Series', taking place on Fridays from 2 February to 8 March 2024. You may either register for individual lectures or you may choose to register for the entire lecture series at a reduced price.
Please note: this lecture will close to enrolments at 23:59 on 6 February 2024.