Iran’s Foreign Ministry designated Argentina’s navy and air force as terrorist organizations. Tehran called the move a reciprocal response to the decision by Argentine authorities to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Argentina’s army was not mentioned in the statement.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry, which considers the IRGC an official part of the country’s armed forces, called Argentina’s actions a “hostile step” that violates the “fundamental principles of international law.” “The Argentine government bears full responsibility for the consequences of this decision,” the statement said, as cited by Mehr.
The 2019 law and the 1990s bombings
Tehran cited a 2019 law adopted after the United States added the IRGC to its list of terrorist organizations. The law provides for retaliatory measures against countries that “in any way support” the U.S. decision. Argentina designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization on March 31, after designating its overseas Quds Force in January.
President Javier Milei’s administration linked its decision to the 1992 terrorist attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish center, which together killed more than 110 people. Argentine investigators hold Iranian officials and Hezbollah responsible, while Iran denies involvement.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Sources: Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Mehr, Reuters, Clash Report