Removing IRGC Terrorist Designation Was Never Iran’s Demand – Spokesman

Mohammad Marandi, who acts as de facto spokesman for Iran's nuclear negotiating team, claims that removing Revolutionary Guard form the US terrorism designation was never a key demand for Tehran. 

Marandi said in a tweet on Saturday that “I've often said over the past few months that removing the Guards from the US Foreign Terrorist Organization list was never a precondition or key demand.”

“Iran will simply keep CENTCOM on its terror list. But if the US needs to say this to sell the deal, that's their business,” he added. 

Marandi’s comment came while talks to revive the JCPOA in Vienna came to an abrupt stop in March, reportedly for Iran’s insistence that the IRGC be removed for the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

Marandi, who has been advisor-cum-spokesman for Tehran’s negotiators, made the remarks after a leak quoted Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri-Kani presenting a detailed list of "concessions" Iran claims to have received from the US, but removing the IRGC terrorist designation was not included in the list. Bagheri-Kani was quoted as saying that the IRGC Issue will be discussed at a later stage with the US.

However, according to the same leak, the US is willing to guarantee that its sanctions against IRGC would not affect other sectors and firms, including companies dealing or affiliated with the military force.