The Trump administration is applauding a major move by a key South American ally in the global fight against terrorism.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement congratulating Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña for officially labeling Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization – a decision the U.S. calls a critical blow to Iran’s terror network in the Western Hemisphere.

«The United States welcomes President Santiago Peña’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization,» said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

In addition to the IRGC designation, Paraguay also expanded its 2019 designations of the armed wings of Hezbollah and Hamas to include the entirety of both organizations. The Trump administration hailed it as a firm stand against Iranian-backed extremism.

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«Iran remains the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world and has financed and directed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally, through its IRGC-Qods Force and proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas,» Bruce said.

The decision is particularly significant in the Tri-Border Area, the region where Paraguay borders Argentina and Brazil, which has long been considered a financial hub for Hezbollah-linked operatives. The State Department said Paraguay’s action will help cut off the Iranian regime’s ability to fund terrorism and operate in Latin America.

«The important steps Paraguay has taken will help cut off the ability of the Iranian regime and its proxies to plot terrorist attacks and raise money for its malignant and destabilizing activity,» Bruce added, highlighting the Tri-Border Area as a critical front in this effort.

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Nov. 1.  (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

The Trump administration said it plans to build on this momentum and continue working with allies to confront Iran’s global influence.

«The United States will continue to work with partners such as Paraguay to confront global security threats,» Bruce said. «We call on all countries to hold the Iranian regime accountable and prevent its operatives, recruiters, financiers, and proxies from operating in their territories.»

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce sent a warning to those who support foreign terrorist organizations like the Houthis. (State Department)

This isn’t a one-off. Since his first term, Trump has made confronting Iran’s terror apparatus a cornerstone of his foreign policy. 

In 2018, he pulled the U.S. out of the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling it «one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.»

Now, the Trump administration is back at the negotiating table, but on its own terms. Two rounds of nuclear talks have already taken place this month, with a third scheduled for later this week. A senior administration official said the discussions have made «very good progress,» though the details remain closely guarded.

As Bruce emphasized, Washington is calling on «all countries» to follow suit in holding «the Iranian regime accountable.»

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The United States does not currently have a permanent Ambassador to Paraguay. Instead, Amir Masliyah holds the position of Chargé D’Affaires.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Leaders of a progressive group in the New York City suburbs are looking to protest a front-line House Republican’s town hall on Sunday night — and Fox News Digital got an inside look at their plans.

Footage from the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee’s monthly meeting on Wednesday shows one of the group’s leaders discussing «potentially [having] thousands of people out front» of the event in West Nyack being held by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., this weekend.

«It is a long street, and we’re trying to fill the entire street, so everyone coming into the rally will see people there and recognize it’s not going to be all, like, sunshine and daisies,» organizer Pascale Jean-Gilles can be seen saying.

Jean-Gilles is also a local elected official in Lawler’s district, serving on the Nyack Village Board of Trustees and as deputy mayor.

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«We want to be able to push back on some of the rules that we feel like are really cutting and chilling our First Amendment rights, like saying that we can’t record it. It’s a public meeting,» Jean-Gilles said.

The demonstration outside Lawler’s town hall will be a joint-organized effort as well, Jean-Gilles said, with «local unions» and other groups.

And while she made clear that her group was only behind the demonstration outside Lawler’s rally, the local elected official appeared to endorse disruptions inside the event as well.

She said the rally rules made it «very clear you cannot whoop or shout or yell,» but added, «There will be things we’re not gonna want to hear from him, and we should be able to make it known.»

«I think that it looks poorly upon him if he’s kicking people out for just booing him, because that is, as people have seen through thousands of Supreme Court cases, that’s an acceptable form of dissent, and it’s covered under First Amendment rights,» Jean-Gilles said. 

«Now, if people are shouting slurs and hate speech, that’s where I absolutely draw the line… that only feeds into his argument that we’re all crazy leftists and liberals, as opposed to people who live in this community.»

Jean-Gilles said she and other activists would also prepare suggested questions for town hall attendees.

«We are prepared, and this will be something we may hand out on the day of — a couple of us have been working on just questions that we think that folks will either want to ask, or maybe want to add their own personal twist to,» the official said. «So we’ll have those prepared for people, that just in case their number gets called, if you didn’t already think of one yourself, have a question that you can be prepared to ask.»

Pascale Jean-Gilles is a leader in the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee and a local elected official in Nyack, New York. (Nyack Village website)

Indivisible is a national left-wing organization whose local offshoots have been targeting Republican town halls for much of this year, encouraging activists to disrupt the events from both inside and outside.

An event listed by Indivisible on the organizing platform Mobilize is advertising a full-day event beginning in New York City and ending at Lawler’s town hall on Sunday.

«Republicans are planning to cut Medicaid, SNAP, and other vital programs to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires. Congress will be home for April Recess and must hear from us,» the event summary read.

«Join other activists to inform constituents in NY17/Tarrytown of this outrageous bill, urge them to phone Rep. Lawler to oppose it as well as attending Rep. Lawler’s Town Hall on April 27. We’ll be taking Metro North to Tarrytown.»

Democrats are poised to pour enormous time and resources into New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Lawler is widely seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans of the 2026 election cycle.

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When reached for comment on plans to disrupt the upcoming town hall, Lawler spokesman Ciro Riccardi told Fox News Digital, «It is deeply disappointing that far-left radical groups like Indivisible Rockland are planning to disrupt the upcoming town hall.»

«These actions undermine our democratic process by stifling civil debate, harming the very constituents who attend to discuss critical voter issues. We remain committed to fostering open, respectful dialogue and will take precautions to ensure a safe environment for all attendees,» Riccardi said.

Jean-Gilles referred Fox News Digital to the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee for comment. 

When reached, the group’s steering committee said it had received «hundreds» of messages from constituents who could not get into Lawler’s town hall.

«In response, we decided to organize a peaceful demonstration outside the venue. This demonstration is meant to give voice to those who were excluded from the room but still want to be part of the democratic process. We want to make it clear that we are not organizing or endorsing any protest activity inside the town hall,» Indivisible Rockland said. 

Lawler is among the most vulnerable Republicans of the coming election cycle. (Getty Images)

«It is also important to recognize the truth of the matter: This so-called town hall offers very limited opportunities for real public engagement. That is not right, it is not fair, and, in fact, it goes against the spirit of the Constitution.»

Regarding Jean-Gilles, specifically, the group noted she was hosting the event in a personal capacity unrelated to her government role.

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«Her comments during what was a private organizing meeting reflected the consensus of our group and not her official role or anything related to the governance of Nyack. She accurately underscored our values of free expression and clear boundaries against hate speech and harassment,» the group said.

«We hope Congressman Lawler does more than just see this demonstration. We hope he listens. The people showing up are his constituents. They are families, workers, students and neighbors who care deeply about this community and are demanding to be heard. This demonstration is not just a sign of civic involvement, it is a message: We are watching, we are engaged, and we expect better from those in power.»