ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The US has revoked immigration privileges for families and relatives of Iranian officials in response to the regime’s “brutal oppression,” the US State Department announced late Thursday, coming soon after the EU designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and imposed a raft of new sanctions on state-linked individuals.

The US State Department said late Thursday that, as Iranians continue to fight for their basic rights, Secretary of State Marco Rubio “took action this week to revoke the privilege of Iranian senior officials and their family members to be in the United States.”

“Those who profit from the Iranian regime's brutal oppression are not welcome to benefit from our immigration system,” it added.

The move was welcomed by US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, criticizing Iranian authorities, saying that “the families of Iranian regime elites live lives of luxury in the United States while their people are massacred,” adding, “Not anymore,” in a post on X on Friday.

US Assistant Secretary of State Mora Namdar added that Washington stands with the “brave people of Iran,” adding that Iranian regime members and their relatives will not be allowed to “take advantage of America’s immigration and visa systems while brutally repressing their own people’s quest for basic rights.”

The move comes as the EU on Thursday designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization for “serious human rights violations” during crackdowns on nationwide protests and Tehran’s continued backing for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The move has been welcomed by several Western powers and strongly condemned by Iranian officials, amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Thursday strongly condemned the EU’s move, saying the IRGC is “an integral part of the official armed forces of Iran,” and that applying such labels to state institutions is “a dangerous heresy” that disregards “the principle of respect for the sovereignty of states.”

The ministry also accused the EU of acting in favor of Israel and the US, describing the move as “irresponsible, political, and biased action.” 

In September, the US State Department imposed additional restrictions under its “maximum pressure” policy, barring Iran’s UN delegation from visiting luxury shops and limiting their travel to strictly necessary areas while in New York. The move was condemned by Tehran.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen over Iran’s heavy crackdown on protesters and its advancing missile and nuclear programs, with the US warning of possible military action. 

Both sides have expressed a degree of willingness to enter new negotiations, with Washington clearly endeavoring to back up any talks with the threat of military intervention as what US President Donald Trump called "a massive armada" patrols on standby in regional waters.

Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests since late last year, which have spread to the majority of provinces and increasingly targeted the government. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that Iranian security forces have killed more than 6,100 protesters.