Iran has designated Argentina’s navy and air force as “terrorist organizations,” the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The move is a reciprocal step after Buenos Aires designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity in April.
In a statement, the ministry said Tehran considers the two Argentine forces terrorist organizations “based on the principle of reciprocity.” It said the Argentine government would bear responsibility for all consequences arising from the matter, without elaborating. The ministry made no mention of Argentina’s army.
Argentina’s April designation of the Revolutionary Guards
Argentina had listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization following a push from the administration of US President Donald Trump for allies to do so. Argentina said in April that the measure was due to the group’s backing for Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
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Buenos Aires blames Hezbollah for the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish community centre in the Argentinian capital. That bombing, the deadliest in the country’s history, killed 85 people and injured hundreds.
The IRGC’s role inside Iran
The IRGC is an elite military force that protects Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran. It also controls large parts of the country’s economy.
