Iran announced on Wednesday that it has designated the naval and air forces of Argentina as terrorist organisations. Tehran stated the move is a tit-for-tat response to the South American country designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group in March.
,Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that it applied the designation by the principle of reciprocity. The announcement did not mention the third branch of the Argentinian military, the army. "It is evident that the responsibility for all consequences arising from this matter will lie with the Argentine government," the Iranian statement added.
,Argentina’s foreign ministry responded quickly with its own statement. The ministry said that it categorically rejects the designation by Tehran. "This measure is completely baseless and constitutes an unacceptable accusation," the Argentinian statement read.
,Relations between the two nations have remained strained for decades. Argentina blames the Iran-backed group Hezbollah for a deadly bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994. That explosion killed 85 people and injured hundreds more.
,The office of Argentinian President Javier Milei referenced that historical bombing on March 31 when it issued its terrorist designation against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "President Javier Milei hopes this decision will settle a historical debt of more than 30 years with the families of the victims," a statement from his office said at the time.
,"This government is determined to bring the Argentine Republic back into alignment with Western civilization, while condemning and directly combating those who seek to destroy it," the statement added. President Milei has positioned his government firmly behind the United States and Israel. The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, urging international allies to support their military offensive.
