Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, November 11, that it had designated Argentina’s navy and air force as terrorist organizations. The ministry described the decision as a reciprocal response to Argentina’s classification of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, as a terrorist organization earlier in the year.
In its statement, the ministry said the action was taken “based on the principle of reciprocity.” It also said the Argentine government would bear responsibility for any consequences arising from the matter. The announcement named the country’s naval and air services but made no mention of Argentina’s army.
Argentina designated the IRGC in early April, during a period when US President Donald Trump was pressing American allies to take that step following the war on Iran. Tehran’s announcement on Wednesday applied its own terrorist classifications to two branches of Argentina’s armed forces in response to that decision.
Iran has legislation allowing it to take retaliatory measures against countries that classify its military as a terrorist group. The legislation was passed in 2019. The Foreign Ministry’s explanation of the latest designations centered on reciprocity, presenting the move against Argentina’s navy and air force as a response to the Argentine government’s action.
When Argentina announced its decision in April, it cited the IRGC’s support for Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon. Buenos Aires holds Hezbollah responsible for the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994. That attack killed 85 people, and Argentina pointed to the IRGC’s backing of Hezbollah as the reason for its designation.
The IRGC dates to the end of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. It was created as an elite armed militia with a mission to safeguard the Shiite clerical regime while that system of government was still in its early stages.
Since its founding, the force has developed into an extensive political and economic empire. Its position within Iran’s leadership structure places it under the direct authority of the supreme leader, rather than the country’s elected president.
Argentina is among the countries that classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom also apply that classification to the Iranian force, along with other countries.
