In a provocative move, Iran’s Foreign Ministry officially designated Argentina’s Navy and Air Force as “terrorist organizations” on Wednesday, marking an escalation in tensions between the two countries. The decision comes in direct retaliation for Argentina’s recent listing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group.
The Tit-for-Tat Escalation
The Iranian statement declared the designation was made “based on the principle of reciprocity,” though it provided no further justification for why only the Navy (Armada de la República Argentina) and Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) were targeted, while the Argentine Army was excluded. Iran also warned that “the responsibility for all consequences” resulting from the move would fall on Argentina.
Argentina struck first earlier this year when President Javier Milei’s government added the IRGC’s elite Quds Force—a unit specializing in foreign operations—to its terrorism registry. The decision cited Iran’s alleged role in two deadly bombings in Buenos Aires: the 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy that killed 29 and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center, which claimed 85 lives.
Shadow of Past Attacks
Milei’s decree specifically named Ahmad Vahidi, current deputy commander of the IRGC and a suspected mastermind of the 1994 attack, as well as Mohsen Rezai, now a top Iranian security official. Both have been wanted by Interpol for years, but Tehran has refused to cooperate with their arrest.
Argentina also pointed to Hezbollah, Iran’s Lebanese proxy, as complicit in the AMIA bombing—a claim supported by evidence that the suicide bomber was a Hezbollah operative. While Argentina designated Hezbollah as a terrorist group in 2019, the IRGC’s listing in April 2026 marked a more direct challenge to Tehran.
Global Backing Against the IRGC
The U.S. was the first to label the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2019, followed by the UK and later the EU in early 2026. Milei framed Argentina’s move as a return to alignment with Western nations, stating his government would “condemn and confront those who seek to destroy” Western civilization.
Iran’s latest designation of Argentina’s military branches appears symbolic—no attacks or sanctions accompany it. However, the brazen move risks further straining international relations, particularly as Western nations tighten restrictions on Iran over its regional aggression and nuclear ambitions.
As both nations trade accusations of harboring terrorists, the once-dormant conflict over Argentina’s worst terrorist attack has flared anew—setting the stage for deeper diplomatic fallout.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/11/11/iran-names-argentinas-navy-and-air-force-as-terrorist-organizations/