WASHINGTON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Monday designated Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a "foreign terrorist organization" (FTO), an unprecedented move that will further heighten U.S.-Iran tensions, and complicate the Middle East situation.

"This designation will be the first time that the United States has ever named a part of another government as an FTO," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement issued by the White House.

"This unprecedented step, led by the Department of State, recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft," Trump said.

Iran immediately condemned the Trump administration's decision as "a dangerous U.S. misadventure in the region" and labelled U.S. Central Command forces in West Asia as "a terrorist group."

Iran's Supreme National Security Council considers the U.S. government as the "sponsor of terrorism" and announces the U.S. Central Command and its affiliated forces in West Asia as a "terrorist group," the official IRNA news agency reported, citing a statement by the council.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since the Trump administration withdrew from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May last year and snapped back sanctions on Iran's "critical sectors" of energy, shipping, shipbuilding and finance.

The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and individuals affiliated with the IRGC, but not the entire force.

Trump said in Monday's statement that the new designation "will significantly expand the scope and scale of our maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. It makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to the IRGC."

Moments later, the White House issued a separate statement, saying that the unprecedented designation, part of "a broader effort to counter Iran-backed terrorism around the world," will "increase the financial pressure and isolation of Iran and deprive the regime of resources it uses for its terrorist activities."

"This action puts other governments and the private sector on notice about the nature of the IRGC," it said.

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