Iranupdated 26m ago2 min read
Iran Declares Argentine Navy and Air Force Terrorist Organizations, Warns Argentina
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Iran designated Argentina's navy and air force as terrorist organizations in retaliation for IRGC designation. The move follows Argentina's April decision to label Iran's IRGC as a terrorist organization.
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Tehran retaliates on reciprocity
Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared the Argentine Navy and Argentine Air Force to be "terrorist organizations" on Wednesday, framing the move as a reciprocal response to Buenos Aires’s decision to classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity in April. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran regards both Argentine forces as terrorist organizations "on the basis of the principle of reciprocity" and warned that "responsibility for all the consequences arising from this matter will fall on the Argentine government." Iran’s Foreign Ministry linked the retaliation to a 2019 law that allows reciprocal action after a country designates Iran’s armed forces as terrorist organizations.
Argentina’s earlier step, as described by the sources, followed pressure tied to the United States designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and the Argentine government justified its move by citing IRGC support for Hezbollah. The sources also tied the dispute to Argentina’s accusations about the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish mutual association headquarters in Buenos Aires, which left 85 dead and hundreds injured.
Argentina, Milei, and AMIA
Argentina’s designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, as described in the sources, was tied to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center. Clarin said Argentina accused the Guardians of the Revolution of supporting Hezbollah and described the 1992 attack as resulting in 29 deaths and the 1994 AMIA attack as killing 85 people and injuring hundreds. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it considers the Argentine Navy and Argentine Air Force covered by its reciprocity law and designated them as terrorist organizations.
Escenario Mundial said Iran’s statement did not specify what consequences would follow and did not announce new sanctions, operational restrictions, or military actions against Argentine forces. Escenario Mundial also described Argentina’s earlier diplomatic retaliation, saying Argentina gave Mohsen Soltani Tehrani 48 hours to leave the country after Iran’s statements were deemed offensive.
What Tehran says next
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Argentine government would bear responsibility for "all consequences arising from this action" while not specifying the practical measures that would follow. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also invoked the 2019 law on reciprocal action, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the law stipulates that "All countries that in any way comply with or support" the US decision to designate the IRGC are subject to reciprocal action. Iran’s Foreign Ministry characterized Buenos Aires’s determination as a "hostile measure" and said the move violated "the fundamental principles of international law."
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it designated the Argentine Navy and Argentine Air Force as terrorist organizations in response to Argentina’s designation of the IRGC, and it described the IRGC as one of the official components of Iran’s Armed Forces. The sources also described a broader pattern of reciprocity, including Iran’s earlier labeling of Britain’s MI6 as a "hostile group" and its designation of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organizations.