An official from Iran's Revolutionary Guards has dismissed Washington's threat yesterday to brand it a "terrorist" group.
US officials said yesterday the United States might soon label the Guards as a "foreign terrorist group" in a move that would enable Washington to target the force's finances.
"Not only would the Revolutionary Guards not be isolated, but rather it would actively continue its trend of growth with strength," the head of the political office of the guards was reported as saying.
"Americans have been fighting the Islamic system for 27 years and create plots against it. But the Revolutionary Guards have made defending the Islamic system its duty and will increase its capabilities in this regard day by day," he added.
Iran experts said the squeeze on financing for the Guards was also aimed at pacifying hardliners within and outside the Bush administration who want military action against Tehran and are frustrated that diplomatic pressure has not worked either on curbing that country's nuclear programme or over Iraq.
Analysts say sanctions on the Guards would be difficult to enforce, however.
The Revolutionary Guards are an ideologically driven force who see themselves as a guardians of the Islamic Republic. They have a separate command structure from the regular military.
The Guards also have a range of business interests, including in energy projects.
Washington is leading efforts to isolate Iran for refusing to rein in its nuclear programme and comply with UN demands. The United States says Iran is seeking atomic bombs, a charge Tehran denies, saying it wants only to make electricity.