Japan not to toe US line on Iran

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Japan has said it will not concur to U.S. designation of Iran’s elite military force as a terrorist, media reports said.

According to Japan’s NHK World TV, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Tuesday that Japan will not label Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a “terrorist” group.

“Japan does not intend to toe the line, and that Iran halting missile development is what's necessary for regional stability,” Kono told reporters.

In an unprecedented move, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he will formally designate the elite force as a “terrorist organization”.

The U.S. move is the first time a government agency has been blacklisted as a terrorist body, though parts of the guard had previously been designated, namely its elite external operations wing, the Quds Force.

In retaliation, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council formally designated U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as a “terrorist organization”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the U.S. move as a “gift” for Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu before Tuesday’s election.