Iran has designated the Argentine Navy and Air Force as terrorist organisations, a move Tehran says was taken in direct response to Argentina’s decision to blacklist the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the measure was grounded in the principle of reciprocity and in a domestic law covering reciprocal action against the United States’ designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. That law calls for equivalent countermeasures against countries that comply with or support Washington’s actions against Tehran.
The ministry described Argentina’s decision as hostile and said it contradicted the fundamental principles of international law. It stressed that the IRGC is an integral part of Iran’s armed forces and held the Argentine government responsible for all consequences arising from its designation.
Argentina’s decision was announced on March 31 by the office of President Javier Milei. It followed calls from US President Donald Trump’s administration and was adopted in response to the IRGC’s support for Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group that Buenos Aires blames for a deadly bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish community in the capital city.
The latest designation is not Iran’s first use of reciprocal measures. Earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran had designated Britain’s Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Secret Intelligence Service as terrorist and hostile entities over the British government’s anti-Iran actions.
The exchange marks a further escalation in Tehran’s diplomatic response to Western designations of its military institutions, with Iran now extending its retaliatory list to Latin America’s second-largest country.
