Iran lawmakers authorize firm action against U.S. ‘terrorist’ acts

Iran’s parliament passed a bill on Tuesday requiring the government take firm steps to respond to “terrorist actions” by U.S. forces, state TV reported, retaliating against Washington’s blacklisting of the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

Donald Trump on April 8 designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) a foreign terrorist group, in an unprecedented step that drew Iranian condemnation and raised concerns about retaliatory attacks on U.S. forces.

Tehran reacted to the designation, which took effect on April 15, by naming the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) a terrorist organization and the U.S. government a sponsor of terrorism.

“The bill authorizes the government to take firm and retaliatory measures against terrorist activities of American forces that endangers Iran’s interests,”.

“The government should use legal, political and diplomatic measures in response to the American actions.”

Tensions have been on the rise between Tehran and Washington since last year, when Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers and reimposed sanctions on the country.

In recent years, there have been periodic confrontations between the IRGC and U.S. military in the Gulf.