Iran Labels Canadian Navy a Terrorist Organization

Iran has officially designated the Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization, in retaliation for Canada’s recent decision to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry described Ottawa’s move as illegal and contrary to international law, arguing that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, is an official component of Iran’s armed forces and cannot be lawfully classified as a terrorist group.

The ministry said the Canadian government had violated fundamental principles of international law by designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. In response, Tehran said it had acted under the principle of reciprocity.

Iran cited Article 7 of its 2019 legislation on reciprocal measures against the designation of the IRGC by the United States, which mandates countermeasures against any country that supports or follows Washington’s decision. Under the law, states that align themselves with the US designation are subject to reciprocal action by Iran.

On that basis, Iranian authorities announced the formal classification of the Canadian naval forces as a terrorist organization.

The move marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Iran and Canada and reflects widening international divisions over the status of the IRGC, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by several Western governments but remains a central pillar of Iran’s military and political structure.