New pressure on Iran

Washington, D.C.

The Revolutionary Guards, a 125,000-strong, elite unit of the Iranian army, will soon be declared a terrorist organization, U.S. officials said this week. The U.S. says the Revolutionary Guards have smuggled roadside bombs and other weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan and to insurgent elements in Iraq. The terrorist designation would mark the first time the U.S. has identified the armed forces of a sovereign nation as terrorists. The assets of such groups are subject to seizure by the U.S., which also may disrupt their activities, by military force if necessary. The U.S. will likely use the terrorist designation to press the U.N. for tightened sanctions against Tehran.