BRUSSELS

The EU Council on Thursday formally designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist organization," placing it on the EU terrorist list following a political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers on Jan. 29.

With the listing, the IRGC will be subject to restrictive measures under the EU counterterrorism sanctions regime.

The measures include the freezing of the group's funds and other financial assets or economic resources within EU member states.

EU operators are also prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to the organization.

A total of 13 individuals and 23 groups and entities are now subject to restrictive measures under the EU terrorist list, according to the statement.

Protests erupted in Iran in late December and lasted nearly two weeks, triggered by a sharp depreciation of the local currency and a worsening economic crisis. The West has accused Iranian authorities of violently suppressing the demonstrations.