FNA - US social media platform, Instagram, came to be the first to obey President Donald Trump's order for escalating tensions against Iran through blacklisting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and blocked accounts of top IRGC Commanders, including Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari and Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

The Instagram pages of General Jafari and General Soleimani had about 900k and 370k followers, as well as Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, head of Iran's state conscription organization Brigadier General Moussa Kamali, former head of the state run TV, IRIB, Ezzatollah Zarqami who had once served as an IRGC member, as well as a long list of other IRGC commanders.

The move was made just a day after the IRGC was formally blacklisted by the US as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" following a relevant announcement by President Donald Trump on 8 April.

Responding to Washington's move, Iran immediately declared the US as "state sponsor of terrorism" and American forces in the region "terrorist groups".

Iran's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in a statement declared the United States a “terrorist government”, and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group”.

The SNSC - that is headed by President Hassan Rouhani - condemned Washington's move, calling it “an illegal and dangerous action” that poses a “major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law".

The statement further condemned the US decision as “unlawful and unreasonable action” prompted by the Islamic Republic's regional influence and success in fighting against terrorists, and blamed CENTCOM for harming Iran’s national security as well as ruining the lives of “innocent Iranian and non-Iranian individuals” to promote the US “aggressive policies” in West Asia (the Middle-East).

"The Islamic Republic of Iran regards this baseless move as a major threat to regional and international peace and security and a blatant violation of the compelling rules of international law and the United Nations Charter," Iran's top security body reiterated.

Also, General Jafari blasted Washington for designating the IRGC as a "terrorist organization", stressing that his forces would further increase power in the year ahead.

General Jafari described the US move as "ridiculous", saying that "the IRGC is in the hearts of the people".

“God willing, the IRGC will grow stronger in the coming year in defensive and offensive fields more than before,” he said.

“Much to enemies’ dismay, the IRGC and the Army will stand together and will continue to support the deprived and the oppressed people all over the world without fear,” General Jafari said last Wednesday.