Iran MPs brand U.S. army, CIA "terrorists"

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian lawmakers hit back on Saturday at the United States for considering sanctions against the Islamic state's Revolutionary Guards, branding the U.S. armed forces and the CIA as "terrorist".

A statement, signed by 215 MPs and read out at a session of the 290-seat legislature, criticized the U.S. military and the Central Intelligence Agency for what it called terrorist actions, the official IRNA news agency said.

It cited the World War Two atomic bombing of Japan, the Vietnam war and the conflict in Iraq as examples.

"Iranian lawmakers ... labeled the American army and the country's intelligence services (CIA) as terrorist," IRNA said.

The statement came four days after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill mandating sanctions on foreign energy companies doing business with Iran and urging the U.S. government to brand the Revolutionary Guards "terrorist".

The two nations, who have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, are embroiled in a deepening rift over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. They also blame each other for the bloodshed in Iraq.

Iran has said any U.S. move to label the Guards a terrorist organization -- which would enable Washington to target the force's financing -- would be illegal and amount to a confrontation with the entire Islamic Republic.

"TORTURE"

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week Washington was considering sanctions against the Guards' Qods force which it accuses of inciting violence in Iraq.