Iran and Argentina trade terrorist-designation moves in diplomatic escalation
Iran has announced that it will designate Argentina's navy and air force as terrorist organisations, in a sharp reciprocal move after Buenos Aires previously blacklisted Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The announcement marks a new escalation in already strained relations between the two countries. Argentina rejected the Iranian move as baseless and unacceptable.
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Iran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it was acting under the principle of reciprocity. The statement said the naval and air forces of Argentina would be treated as terrorist organisations, while making no mention of the country's army. It also warned that responsibility for any consequences would lie with the Argentine government.
Argentina's foreign ministry responded that it categorically rejected the designation. It said the measure was completely baseless and amounted to an unacceptable accusation. The exchange follows Argentina's March decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation under President Javier Milei.
The dispute carries wider political and legal significance because it touches on long-running tensions linked to the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires. Argentina blames the Iran-backed group Hezbollah for the attack, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. Milei's office said in March that the IRGC designation was intended to address a historical debt to the victims' families.
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The March move also aligned Argentina more closely with the United States' effort to isolate Iran. Milei has positioned his government firmly alongside the US and Israel, a stance that has set it apart from many other leaders in Latin America. The latest Iranian response suggests that the diplomatic fallout from that alignment is still unfolding.
The current exchange does not appear to include any immediate military action, but it deepens a symbolic confrontation between two governments over terrorism designations and historical accountability. It also raises questions about whether further diplomatic measures could follow. What remains unclear is whether either side will take additional practical steps beyond the formal designations, and how the dispute may affect broader bilateral relations in the coming days.
