Iran Declares Argentina’s Navy And Air Force Terrorist Organizations
Tehran cites reciprocity and a 2019 law, more than seven months after Buenos Aires designated the Revolutionary Guard, and holds Argentina responsible for the consequences
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared Argentina’s navy and air force terrorist organizations on Wednesday, in response to Buenos Aires’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity, according to a statement dated November 11. The ministry said Argentina acted “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law” by designating the Guard, which it called one of the official armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The ministry said Iran is acting on the principle of reciprocity and under a 2019 law passed after the US designated the Guard, which states that all countries that in any way follow or support the US decision are subject to reciprocal measures. It said Argentina’s navy and air force fall within the law and that Iran therefore identifies and declares them terrorist organizations. The statement said all consequences of this are Argentina’s responsibility.
Argentine President Javier Milei’s government designated the Guard a terrorist organization on March 31, after designating its Quds Force and 13 individuals in January, citing the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy and the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which Argentina blames on Iran-backed Hezbollah. Two days later, Argentina expelled Iran’s chargé d’affaires, after Iran’s foreign ministry accused it of acting under US and Israeli influence. Argentine courts accuse Ahmad Vahidi, whom Iran named to lead the Guard, of involvement in the AMIA attack, and an Interpol red notice has been issued for him. Iran denies the accusations.
The move follows Iran’s response to the European Union’s listing of the Guard in February, when it declared the naval and air forces of all EU member states terrorist organizations under the same law, and its labeling of the Royal Canadian Navy in 2024. Iran’s direct contacts with Argentina are minimal, and the practical effect of the designation is likely limited.