Tension Rises Between Canada And Iran As Tehran Labels Royal Canadian Navy A Terrorist Organisation
Diplomatic tensions between Canada and Iran have escalated after the Iranian government designated the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation, in response to Ottawa’s decision to blacklist Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran’s foreign ministry announced the move on Tuesday, describing it as reciprocal action following Canada’s June 2024 designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group. In a statement, the ministry said Canada’s decision was “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law.”
“Within the framework of reciprocity, the Islamic Republic of Iran identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization,” the statement read, though it did not outline any specific consequences for Canada’s naval force.
Canada officially designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation on June 19, 2024. The move bars members of the group from entering Canada, prohibits Canadians from having any dealings with the IRGC or its members, and allows for the seizure of any assets linked to the group held within the country.
Ottawa justified the decision by accusing the IRGC of “consistently displaying disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran,” as well as undermining the international rules-based order.
While opposition lawmakers had long called for the designation, the Liberal government under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau had previously resisted, citing concerns about unintended diplomatic and security consequences.
Pressure on the Canadian government intensified in April 2024 after Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel. In May, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously adopted a report urging the government to declare the IRGC a terrorist organisation.
The decision was also influenced by the January 2020 downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 shortly after takeoff from Tehran. All 176 passengers and crew were killed, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The IRGC later admitted its forces shot down the aircraft, saying it had been mistakenly identified as a hostile target.
Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, describing the country as “the most significant threat to global peace.”
The United States designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organisation in April 2019, while Australia took a similar step last month, accusing the force of involvement in attacks on Australian soil.
