Europol Targets IRGC Online Network

Europol said authorities have identified 14,200 links tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a coordinated effort to disrupt terrorist propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activity online. The operation was led by Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit and published on May 18, 2026.

Nineteen countries participated in synchronized investigative and referral actions conducted between Feb. 13 and April 28. The effort involved collecting intelligence, verifying targets and referring material to online platforms. Investigators found IRGC-linked content on social media, streaming services, blog-hosting platforms and independent websites in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, English, French, Persian and Spanish.

According to Europol, the material included speeches promoting religious martyrdom narratives, politically charged messaging, AI-generated videos praising the IRGC and calls for retaliation against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Authorities also examined content associated with aligned or proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Ansar Allah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and HAYI.

Europol said the IRGC’s main account on X, which had more than 150,000 followers, was withheld in the European Union following the action. Thousands of additional links were removed or remained under investigation. The agency also reported that investigators identified hosting providers operating across several jurisdictions and cryptocurrency transactions allegedly used to support the network’s online activities. The IRGC was designated a terrorist organization by the EU on Feb. 19, 2026.