TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian lawmakers have convened an open session of parliament with chants of “Death to America” following the White House’s decision to designate Iran’s elite paramilitary Revolutionary Guards a foreign terrorist organization.
The semi-official Fars news agency says many of the lawmakers wore the uniform of the guard in a show of support for the force. The session comes as Iran marks the annual National Day of the Revolutionary Guard.
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani denounced the U.S. decision as the “climax of stupidity and ignorance.”
Monday’s U.S. move is an unprecedented declaration against a foreign government and may prompt retaliation, making it harder for the U.S. to work with allies in the region.
Iran responded by designating all U.S. forces as terrorist, and labeling the U.S. a “supporter of terrorism.”
