There are numerous roadblocks in the way of IRGC being removed from the FTO list.

The Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna have been stalled for over a month, and several reasons have been cited for the impasse. One of the most important issues, according to most experts and even Iranian regime officials, is whether the Revolutionary Guards of Iran (IRGC) will remain on the US government’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list, which they were added to in 2019 during Donald Trump’s presidency.

There are numerous roadblocks in the way of IRGC being removed from the FTO list. Those opposed to the IRGC being removed from the FTO are hoping that the Biden administration will not give Iran such a concession.”In my personal opinion, I believe the IRGC Quds Force to be a terrorist organization, and I do not support them being delisted from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list,” General Mark Milley, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a hearing of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Seventy national security professionals signed an open letter to current US President Joe Biden opposing the regime’s IRGC’s delisting as a foreign terrorist organization.46 retired US generals and admirals signed an open letter opposing the ongoing nuclear deal and urging the US government to stay out of it. “That just doesn’t sit well with us because the IRGC is the most malicious group in the region,” retired US Air Force Gen. Charles Wald said.

The main cause of the impasse is a lack of trust between Iran and the United States, which has grown as a result of the regime’s failure to keep promises. Many of these breaches have been exposed in recent years by the Iranian opposition, namely the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

The question now is whether the IRGC issue is the only factor that has halted the talks, and if so, what direction will the JCPOA talks take if this issue is resolved.

Simply put, both sides are attempting to extract the greatest number of concessions from one another. Because of the legal implications, the regime wants the IRGC delisted, which has caused major problems for various companies that want to work with the regime, i.e., companies affiliated with the IRGC. To achieve its regional goals, the regime has spent most of its financial resources.

The ball is in the other party’s court, according to both sides. The regime claims that this is because Washington is hesitant to remove the IRGC from the FTO because it is not providing the necessary guarantees. The regime, for example, has been told not to pursue the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and not to interfere in other countries, but it has ignored this request.

“The problem is that the Americans do not want to implement the JCPOA of 2015, but instead want Iran to fulfill all of its obligations under the JCPOA,” the state-run daily Donya-e Eghtesad wrote on April 18. In fact, they want more than the 2015 JCPOA offered. One of these was the IRGC and its designation as a terrorist organization.”

“If the IRGC remains on the terrorist list, it means that the US does not want to implement the 2015 JCPOA,” the paper concluded. If the US removes the IRGC from the list, Iran will make two demands: one related to missile talks and the other to regional talks. As a result, the Americans are no longer willing to accept the JCPOA because it does not address missile and regional issues.”

As a result, the regime has no choice but to accept a new deal or reject everything and bear the consequences, one of which is the spread of social crises and popular protests.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu