00:00Fraser, stay with us. I want to turn now to James André because…
00:05We did not hear in those linear remarks about Iran. There have been those repeated…
00:10threats of strikes. Instead, there was talk about Venezuela.
00:15And the reopening of airspace there. Just on this question…
00:20of Iran feeling the pressure. What's the situation?
00:25As we speak on the day when, by the way, EU foreign ministers have decided to put the…
00:30Revolutionary Guards on their terror organization list.
00:33Absolutely. Well, that's…
00:35That's actually quite a pivot for the European Union. Until now, indeed, both the French,
00:39the Germans…
00:40You know, a lot of other European nations were basically resisting the idea of putting
00:44the revolution…
00:45Revolutionary Guards on their terror list, simply because that means it makes it much
00:50more difficult.
00:50Difficult to negotiate with them or to broker deals. And as you know, when…
00:55During his first term, Donald Trump walked out of the Iranian nuclear deal, the GCP…
01:00Well, the Europeans tried to revive that and tried to indeed…
01:05Broker something new. And this, of course, means that by sanctioning…
01:10And by declaring that the Revolutionary Guards are a…
01:15A terrorist organization, well, that makes that negotiation obviously difficult. So what we do have…
01:20Here is clearly a pivot in the face of these very violent protests.
01:25The protests that have taken place and the crackdown of the authorities that have killed literally thousands of…
01:30People in those protests. Well, it's the European Union indeed shifting its standards…
01:35And deciding to go full on when it comes to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards…
01:40Now, Iran has actually reacted in the past few minutes, saying that indeed for them this was misguided and…
01:45Malevolent and that it was a strategic mistake for Europe, also saying that they were just…
01:50In lockstep with the United States and Israel.
01:53But the fact of the matter is, yes, it comes…
01:55At a time where we have maximum pressure by the Americans, we have this armada that's positioned to strike Iran…
02:00And we have, for example, today a meeting in Washington with…
02:05Top brass from the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia with…
02:10Allegedly, you know, allegedly accosting to information from Axios…
02:14This…
02:15…this…
02:15American news site…
02:16News site…
02:17American news site…
02:18That basically the…
02:19Israelis are talking…
02:20targeting targets…
02:21And the Saudis are trying to talk the Americans out of a strike…
02:25Because indeed, for now, all the countries around Iran are very worried as well…
02:30About this aggressive stance by the United States of America…
02:34And there's also been…
02:35Reports about how the administration itself is mulling over…
02:40The idea of actual strikes and what could come in the wake of those strikes…
02:43We have a guest who…
02:45You can join us from Italy…
02:46You can join us from…
02:47From Italy…
02:48Shain Modaris…
02:49Who's…
02:50Who's…
02:50With the international team for the study of security in Verona…
02:53Thanks for being with us here on…
02:55On France 24…
02:56Is it a good idea to put the…
03:00…
03:00Revolutionary Guards…
03:01On a Terror List…
03:02If you're the European Union…
03:05Hello and thank you for having me…
03:07It is definitely a good idea…
03:09And it is…
03:10It is actually quite surprising that it didn't happen sooner…
03:13Rather than now…
03:14Because the…
03:15The fact is…
03:16That the IRGC…
03:18Since its…
03:19Foundation…
03:20Back in time…
03:21Back in time…
03:22Right after the 1979 revolution…
03:25Has been doing nothing but exporting terrorism…
03:29And a…
03:30Offlying terrorism…
03:31And terror means…
03:33On the people of Iran…
03:35Inside the country…
03:36You can clearly see that…
03:38During the latest series of protests…
03:40Like…
03:41In a very brutal way…
03:43And in a very…
03:44Nature…
03:45In a…
03:46Philosophical sense…
03:47They massacred…
03:4840,000…
03:49Iranians…
03:50Outside the country…
03:51There are people who have been killing European citizens…
03:55American citizens…
03:56Soldiers…
03:57Within the Middle East region…
03:59There are…
04:00Numerous terror attacks…
04:01That the Islamic Republic has conducted…
04:03Within the…
04:05territory of the European Union, and it is actually quite surprising that it didn't happen.
04:10Is it enforceable?
04:13We know, for instance, that...
04:15...the star striker for Iran's national...
04:20...the football team did his military service in the Republican Guards.
04:25Should he be among those that's banned from entering the EU?
04:30Well, I am not a legal expert and I am not a lawyer and I will...
04:35...not enter this because it's out of my expertise, but what I can tell...
04:40...you is that there are people who have done their military service...
04:45...without any other options at the IRGC, I believe that the league...
04:50...experts should come up with a solution for this, for those who did not...
04:55...intent to serve inside the IRGC, but still it's rather...
05:00...better to be careful than not because a person who has served...
05:05...in the ranks of this terrorist organizational system could have been...
05:10...compromised as well.
05:11...we can never underestimate this.
05:14And...
05:15Shane Modaris, when with this decision...
05:20...by Europe, it's hard to say though...
05:25...that the Europeans are in lockstep with the Americans.
05:29We heard the EU...
05:30...foreign policy chief Kayakala...
05:32...stating the region did not need a new war...
05:35...when it came to Donald Trump's military threats.
05:38Yeah, well, the...
05:40...the EU does not believe in a military intervention...
05:43...when it comes to this case.
05:45...because of many factors, but here's one thing that they are not seeing...
05:50...in my opinion, that Iran is a country of approximately 85 million people...
05:55...if it becomes a complete failed state and the situation...
06:00...if it worsens from the current state of affairs, it means that millions...
06:05of millions, waves of millions of Iranian migrants will
06:10be trying to enter the European Union, which will cause a crucial
06:15security issue for Europe. So if they do not want this to happen,
06:20one of the ways that they could have dealt with it was to put the IRGC on the EU.
06:25Terrorism list and it does also something else.
06:29It
06:30somehow limits the Islamic Republic in a severe way from AD
06:35and the other countries as a third party in war, such as Russia and Ukraine.
06:40The Islamic Republic has been helping Russia in its invasion against
06:45Ukraine, and now it can actually be limited because
06:50the restrictions and the sanctions on people, individual
06:55and entities who try to import equipment.
07:00That is needed for these drones or the ballistic missile program.
07:05will now face severe consequences, which means
07:10that it will be lowered. And one final question for you, Shane.
07:15What about more targeted actions? I know that a lot of
07:20people in the opposition in Iran are furious over
07:23so-called nepo babies.
07:25Sons and daughters of high ups in the regime who come
07:30to study both in the US and in Europe.
07:35Well...
07:35Well, it's really important to deal with that in a legal way as well, because...
07:40Because the fact is that the parents, the families of these people, even...
07:45if they have not committed any crimes or any unethical behaviour...
07:50yet they are massacring the Iranian people.
07:54They have...
07:55created a hell on earth for 85 million people inside the country.
08:00And eight to ten million people in the Iranian...
08:03within the Iranian diaspora.
08:05And they are enjoying the freedom and they're like cheering.
08:10their previous lives and they are trying to live the American dream, for instance.
08:15whilst their fathers, their mothers, their brothers and sisters...
08:20are massacring my people.
08:22So, this does not make any sense.
08:24If...
08:25If it is such a beautiful place that you have created, maybe you can go live in...
08:30And I believe it is the responsibility of the United States of Canada...
08:35and of the European Union to make sure that such people cannot...
08:40even enter the borders of the free world anymore.
08:44It does not...
08:45mean that we are going to condemn someone for the crimes their parents did.
08:50It is just such a hypocrisy that when people have been...
08:55through a trauma like the Iran massacre that we witnessed cannot...
09:00digest.
09:01Shaheen Modar, so many thanks for joining us from Rome.
09:05Shaheen Modar, thank you for having me.
09:07And we're in the company of James Andre.
09:10And Fraser Jackson, our correspondent in Washington.
09:13James, just a quick word on...
09:15on this now.
09:17What's the next step for Europe?
09:20If again, this idea of...
09:22of...
09:23distancing...
09:24your...
09:25Europe's...
09:26distancing itself...
09:27from...
09:28possible military action on the part of the US.
09:30Well, I mean, it's...
09:31it's a big question.
09:33The thing is, indeed, this is...
09:34this is a quite a...
09:35a strong move.
09:36The fact of...
09:37of placing...
09:38the Iranian Revolution guard because...
09:39I'll just give you one example.
09:40it's actually interesting.
09:41There was a tweet by the...
09:42Iranian Foreign Minister who said...
09:45you...
09:46Europe has just put our national army, he says.
09:50as a...
09:51as a terrorist organization.
09:52But, you know, that's interesting because that...
09:54does go to show how...
09:55the regime itself sees...
09:57the Revolutionary Guard.
09:58They see it as...
09:59you know, I mean, at least...
10:00this minister says national army is, which is...
10:02rather...
10:03rather surprising because it is not technically...
10:05the national army.
10:06But that does go to show how intertwined...
10:08you know, the...
10:09the national...
10:10the national guard are with the regime, of course.
10:11But also when...
10:12everything that has to do with any business in the country...
10:14any institution...
10:15the country...
10:16so...
10:17it is...
10:18like...
10:19declaring a large chunk of...
10:20Iran...
10:21as...
10:22a terrorist organization.
10:23So, of course, it will have repercussions.
10:24Now, I am absolutely...
10:25I agree with the...
10:26with the guests we've just had.
10:27It's true that...
10:28it is going to hurt.
10:29I mean, it's true...
10:30that at this stage...
10:31the high brass in the organization...
10:32have...
10:33their children and families...
10:34traveling across Europe.
10:35etc.
10:36in various countries.
10:37That's going to be difficult.
10:38They have assets...
10:39It's still possible though.
10:40Well, I suppose it depends...
10:42how wanted they are.
10:43Now...
10:44some people have been...
10:45added to the list...
10:46I mean, if the children themselves...
10:47are not part of the Revolutionary Guards...
10:49themselves...
10:50Yeah, but if you take the assets...
10:51for example...
10:52that's going to be complicated...
10:53because these people...
10:54have stashed money...
10:55outside Iran...
10:56in countries such as Europe.
10:57So that, of course...
10:58that means there...
10:59there is heat coming there.
11:00of course.
11:01And then you have...
11:02people who have been...
11:03sanctioned very directly...
11:04with the recent decisions.
11:05I mean...
11:05there is the...
11:06blanket...
11:07terrorist organization...
11:08new position...
11:10in Europe.
11:11But also you have...
11:12I think it's now...
11:13257...
11:14individual people.
11:15up from 230...
11:16who are now...
11:17on the EU sanction lists...
11:19since today.
11:20and those include...
11:21I had a look at the list...
11:22I mean...
11:23you have the interior minister...
11:24you have the head of police...
11:25you have also...
11:26a lot of the regional commanders...
11:28of...
11:29the...
11:30Iranian revolution...
11:31regard...
11:32who are now...
11:33on that list...
11:34and you have...
11:35extra entities...
11:36companies...
11:35that have been...
11:36added to the list...
11:37when it comes to sanctions.
11:38So yes...
11:39I mean...
11:40there is...
11:40pressure being applied...
11:41obviously...
11:42the big question mark...
11:43right now is...
11:44what happened...
11:45when...
11:46if...
11:47the Americans...
11:48strike...
11:49that of course...
11:50is going to...
11:50be the big question marks...
11:51in hours to come...
11:52but in any case...
11:53Europe has positioned itself...
11:54saying...
11:55right...
11:55you know...
11:56the Revolutionary Garp Corp...
11:57are...
11:58a terrorist organization...
11:59so...
12:00that means...
12:01that technically...
12:02you know...
12:03strikes would be...
12:04at least...
12:05overlooked...
12:05or warranted...
12:06by the...
12:07by the EU...
12:08so I suppose...
12:09that does change...
12:10change the rule...
12:11as well...
12:12it could...
12:13uh...
12:14but it's clearly...
12:15not what Kayakawa said...
12:16she said...
12:17no...
12:18she says...
12:19we don't want a new war...
12:18but say...
12:19say the Americans...
12:20do attack...
12:21well...
12:22Europe will...
12:23potentially...
12:23say...
12:24right...
12:25you know...
12:26this is...
12:27a terrorist organization...
12:28so if there are...
12:29there's...
12:30the actual...
12:31it's...
12:32legitimate...
12:33if you will...
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