Zürcher Nachrichten - Iran vows 'crushing response', EU targets Revolutionary Guards

Foes Washington and Tehran have exchanged sharp warnings since a protest wave in Iran led Trump to threaten military action over a violent crackdown, while the Islamic republic blamed the United States for fuelling what it deemed "riots".

The face-off has sent diplomatic shock waves across the region, with calls for negotiations to defuse tensions drawing in key regional actors.

The EU is expected on Thursday to agree to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on the bloc's "terrorist list" over the crackdown, which rights groups say saw thousands killed by security forces, including the IRGC -- the ideological arm of Tehran's military.

"If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as terrorists," top diplomat Kaja Kallas told journalists ahead of a ministers' meeting in Brussels, adding that the step puts the Guards on the same level as jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

The symbolic move will send a strong message of condemnation to Iran, though it is expected to have little practical impact, as the organisation and senior commanders are already under EU sanctions.

However, Iran has warned of "destructive consequences" if the designation is greenlit, state media reported Tuesday.

Iranian officials have also ratcheted up warnings that Tehran would respond forcefully to any US military action, while not ruling out diplomatic solutions.

Iran's army chief Amir Hatami on Thursday vowed a "crushing response" to any attack, according to state television, which reported 1,000 "strategic drones" had joined the combat regiments.

- 'Potential for negotiations' -

A US naval strike group arrived in Middle East waters on Monday, with Trump warning it was "ready, willing and able" to hit Iran "if necessary".

He said Wednesday that "time is running out" for Iran to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.

The United States had hit Iranian nuclear targets when it briefly joined Israel's war against Iran in June.

Iran's neighbours, including Gulf states that host US military sites, have called for calm.

A Gulf official told AFP that fears of a US strike on Iran are "very clear".

"It would bring the region into chaos, it would hurt the economy not just in the region but in the US and cause oil and gas prices to skyrocket," the official added.

Turkey on Thursday said it would offer to mediate between Washington and Tehran during an upcoming visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after Ankara's top diplomat urged Washington to start nuclear talks with Tehran.

"It's wrong to attack Iran. It's wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television in English.

NATO member Turkey is also weighing contingency plans along its 530-kilometre (330-mile) border with Iran should the dispute escalate, a senior official told AFP.

Iran ally Russia on Thursday also said "the potential for negotiations is not exhausted".

"Any use of force can only create chaos in the region and lead to very dangerous consequences," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Trump's recent statements have focused more on Iran's nuclear programme than the fate of protesters in the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in late December and peaked on January 8 and 9.

In an updated toll, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had confirmed that 6,373 people had been killed and more than 40,000 arrested, as internet restrictions persisted after a shutdown imposed on January 8.

Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of over 3,000 deaths, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by "rioters".

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W.F.Portman--NZN