Iran Designates Royal Canadian Navy a Terrorist Organization

Iran has designated the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization in response to Canada’s earlier decision to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

The ministry said the move was taken under a domestic law requiring countermeasures against countries that support or follow the U.S. designation of the IRGC, The Caspian Post reports, citing IRNA.

Iran argued that Canada’s action violated fundamental principles of international law by labeling an official branch of its armed forces as a terrorist organization.

Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012. In June 2024, Ottawa formally listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization, prompting strong condemnation from Tehran. Iran has repeatedly rejected such designations, arguing they have no legal basis and undermine international norms governing relations between states.