US report identifies Iran as leading sponsor of terrorism

An annual US State Department report called Iran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism for the 39th year running, accusing Tehran of using its allied armed groups to destabilize the Middle East.

The latest 2023 CRT report released on Thursday evening accused Iran of facilitating a wide range of "terrorist and other illicit activities," primarily through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

“Through the IRGC-QF, Iran provided funding, training, weapons, and equipment to several US-designated terrorist groups in the region responsible for conducting these destabilizing attacks,” the report said.

The report further accused Iran of providing weapons, such as drones and missiles, to the Houthis in Yemen, who intensified attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting maritime commerce and global trade.

Beyond the region, Iran was accused of orchestrating or supporting plots against dissidents and other perceived enemies abroad, including an assassination attempt on an Iranian dissident in New York City.

The report also detailed threats against Iran International, noting, “In 2023, a United Kingdom court convicted a man for attempting to gather information for terrorist purposes.” Iran had hosted senior al-Qa’ida leaders, the State Department further alleged.

The report further accused Iran of violating international laws by attacking commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, seizing ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

As in the previous year, the State Department concluded that the IRGC-QF remains Tehran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting "terrorist" activity abroad and emphasized Iran’s use of proxies to shield itself from accountability while promoting destabilizing policies globally.