Iranian parliament designates U.S. Army, Pentagon as terrorist entities

The Iranian parliament unanimously on Tuesday, voted to designate the U.S. Army and Pentagon as terrorist entities in the wake of the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, the country’s Tasnim news agency has reported.

The motion passed at an open parliament session also obliges the government to allocate 200 million euros ($224 million) from the National Development Fund for the elite Quds Force.

Last week, a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Soleimani in an operation ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claims that the top Iranian general was a “murderer” and terrorist who plotted attacks on Americans.

Trump, in turn, threatened that the U.S. would strike more than 50 Iranian targets, including cultural sites, should Iran retaliate.

The statement prompted criticism since targeting cultural sites is considered a war crime under international law.

Iran and the U.S. have long been accusing each other of using terrorist methods.

Back in April, Washington formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, of which the Quds Force is a part, as a foreign terrorist organisation.

Tehran responded by designating the U.S. Central Command as a terrorist organisation and the American government as a sponsor of terrorism. (Sputnik/NAN)