Tehran Brands Argentine Navy and Air Force ‘Terrorist’ in Tit-for-Tat Move

Iran has reciprocally labelled Argentina’s navy and air force as terrorist organisations after Buenos Aires listed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards earlier this year. Tehran says Argentina will bear responsibility for the consequences.

A reciprocal designation

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that Tehran now regards the air force and navy of Argentina as terrorist organisations. The step was presented as a mirror image of Buenos Aires’ decision in April to classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, as a terrorist entity.

In its statement, the ministry said the designation rested on the principle of reciprocity. It did not provide further detail on the criteria used or the specific actions it cited.

Warning over consequences

The ministry stated that the Argentine government would bear responsibility for any consequences that follow from the matter. It offered no elaboration on what those consequences might be. Notably, the announcement did not mention Argentina’s army, leaving that branch outside the designation.

It remains unclear what practical effect the label will have on the ground, whether in trade, diplomacy, travel or military cooperation.

Tehran Brands Argentine Navy and Air Force 'Terrorist' in Tit-for-Tat Move — Photo: xiquinhosilva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Why Argentina acted

Argentina’s earlier move against the IRGC was tied to Tehran’s support for Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based group. Buenos Aires holds Hezbollah responsible for the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in the capital, the deadliest attack in the country’s history. That blast killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. The designation of the IRGC followed a push from the administration of US President Donald Trump for allied governments to take similar steps.

Background

The IRGC is an elite military force charged with protecting Iran’s Shi’ite clerical system of government. It also holds substantial influence over large sections of the Iranian economy, a factor that has made its international status a recurring point of contention.

What next

The exchange leaves the two governments on opposing footing over how each classifies the other’s security institutions. Further official statements from Buenos Aires or Tehran would be needed to show whether the dispute widens or whether either side seeks to scale it back.