Iran summoned Italy's ambassador to Tehran Paola Amadei after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he will propose the European Union classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist organisation," Tasnim reported on January 27.

The move marks a 180-degree reversal in Italy’s stance as Rome, alongside France and Spain, had until recently been among the countries blocking an IRGC listing, according to two EU diplomats briefed on the matter.

According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, the Director General of Western Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alireza Yousefi, strongly protested the "irresponsible" positions of the Italian Foreign Minister during the meeting and warned of the "destructive consequences of any labelling against the Revolutionary Guards."

Antonio Tajani, in a post on X, wrote on January 26, "The civilian losses suffered during the protests demand a clear response. At the meeting of European Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Thursday, I will propose, in coordination with other partners, listing the Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organisations as well as imposing individual sanctions against those responsible for these heinous acts."

The proposed designation follows widespread protests across Iran that authorities claim resulted in more than 3-6,000 deaths, according to the Iranian government figures and separate figures reported by the Human Rights News Agency based in the US.

An 18-day nationwide internet shutdown that began around January 11 inflicted daily losses of approximately IRR5 trillion ($3.29mn) on the national economy, according to Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made an unusually frank self-criticism on January 26, stating: "We must accept we need to reform our views, behaviour, actions towards people. Cannot think that whatever we say is correct and everyone must obey."