Ayatollah Khamenei said the recent decision by the United States to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) a “foreign terrorist organization” is rooted in America’s “rancor” against the force, which has been on the forefront of the fight against enemies.

In a meeting with IRGC personnel and their family members in the capital Tehran on Tuesday, which is IRGC Commemoration Day, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Revolution Guards were on the front-lines of the fight against enemies both inside and outside of Iran.

“The IRGC is the vanguard both on the field confronting the enemy on [Iranian] borders and even several thousand kilometers away [in Syria] as well as on the political battleground against the enemy,” the Leader said, adding that Americans hold a grudge against the force for that reason.

The leader's remarks came a few hours after the US President Donald Trump on Monday officially designated Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist group.

IRGC is a major part of Iran's official Armed Forces, and the move sparked fierce reactions by Iranian officials.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) took a retaliatory measure on the US by putting the American forces in West Asia, known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on the list of terrorist organizations.

Reporter’s code: 50101