Iran designates Royal Canadian Navy a ‘terrorist organisation’ in tit-for-tat move

Ottawa decided to blacklist the IRGC in 2024, as Tehran condemned the move in a statement, calling it “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law”. The foreign ministry of Iran further added that the country was “within the framework of reciprocity, identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation”.

In June 2024, Canada had declared the IRGC a terror group, which meant that its members were barred from entering the country and also restricted Canadians from having any dealings with individual members or the group. The designation also meant that Canadian authorities could seize any assets the IRGC or its members hold in the country.

Canada had accused IRGC, which is the ideological arm of Iran’s military, of “having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilise the international rules-based order.”

The United States had designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2019, while the Australian government also followed suit last month after accusing the Iranian military of carrying out attacks in the country.