US can't call all the shots anymore

The United States has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization in an attempt to isolate Iran in the international community. US President Donald Trump's announcement on April 8 that he would designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, not surprisingly, invoked a quick counter-move from Teheran - Iran's Supreme National Security Council labeled the US Central Command and its forces in West Asia as terrorist organizations on the same night.

The fiery exchange of allegations and counter-allegations between the US and Iran has led some to believe a direct conflict, which could throw the Middle East into chaos, is becoming increasingly likely.

Yet the outbreak of a conflict is unlikely despite the escalation in tensions between the two sides and US-Iran relations deteriorating to record low levels. It is widely believed that the US has acted impetuously by designating one arm of a sovereign state's military as a terrorist organization. The White House's move has sparked controversy in the US, too.