The US government feels that it has the right to intervene in the affairs of other countries to the extent of destabilizing them, supporting insurgent groups, creating coups, and even invading them. But it denounces anyone that fights back. For example, Afghans who attack US troops in that country are accused of being terrorists and charged as such. But if a foreign country were to ever invade the US, would Americans who take up arms against the invaders be called terrorists? And what of countries that provide support to Americans fighting the foreign invaders? Would those countries be labeled as state supporters of terrorism? To ask the question is to reveal the hypocrisy.

The Trump administration continues the belligerent actions of the US against selected countries and announced that they had placed the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its list of terrorist organizations. In retaliation, Iran announced that it designated the “US Central Command (Centcom) as a terrorist organisation and the US government as a sponsor of terror.” Its leaders were scathing in their remarks.

President Rouhani condemned the US move in a speech broadcast live on state television.

“Who are you to label revolutionary institutions as terrorists?” he asked. “You are the leader of world terrorism.”

“This mistake will unite Iranians and the Guards will grow more popular in Iran and in the region.
“America has used terrorists as a tool in the region while the Guards have fought against them from Iraq to Syria.”

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the IRGC had confronted enemies at home and abroad, state TV reported.

They were “in the frontline of confronting enemies of our revolution and had always defended the country… America has failed to block our advancements”.

I noticed that US media outlets reported on the US calling the IRGC a terrorist organization but some downplayed the reaction from Iran, even though it was surely newsworthy.