The EU has not ruled out designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, the French Foreign Ministry has said.
It comes amid a continuing clampdown on pro-democracy protesters who have been demonstrating since mid-September and have been killed in their hundreds by security forces, mainly the IRGC — the backbone of Tehran's regime.
“Given the continuation of this repression, France is working with its European partners on new sanctions measures, without excluding any,” ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters on Tuesday.
The remarks came a day after Germany voiced support for a potential EU listing, saying more rounds of sanctions were insufficient.
“Listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation is politically important and makes sense,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, echoing similar statements made at the end of October.
Paris and Tehran have been at loggerheads following the recent publication of caricatures insulting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Iran shut down a French cultural institute in Tehran as a response, and has publicly hit out at Paris over the “insulting cartoons”.
On Wednesday, the magazine referenced the fallout.
“Laughing at themselves has never been a strong point of tyrants,” said its editor, known as Riss.
Western states have looked to mount pressure on Iran as it steps up its repression of protesters, four of whom have now been executed for participating in the movement.
The four men were hanged after being convicted of allegedly murdering members of the Basij paramilitary force, which is part of the IRGC and has been at the heart of the crackdown.
Dozens of others have also been sentenced to death and thousands more detained in prisons and secret detention centres.
Sanctions handed out
Rounds of sanctions have been handed to Tehran over its response to the protests, as well as its drone supplies to Russia.
The IRGC is already designated a terrorist organisation by the US and other western allies. The UK is also expected to make a similar decision in the coming weeks.
Designating the IRGC as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings and carry its logo in public.
It was formed after Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 and has become a major military economic force in the country, also controlling Tehran's nuclear and ballistics programme and funding operations elsewhere in the region.
Its influence has increased under the hardline rule of President Ebrahim Raisi, who took power in 2021.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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