Iranian government on Tuesday declared the Royal Canadian Navy a “terrorist organisation”. The announcement was made by Iran’s foreign ministry, calling it retaliatory move against Canada’s decision to blacklist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2024.
In a statement, Tehran said Canada’s decision was “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law”. It added that “within the framework of reciprocity, [Iran] identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation”, without explaining what practical consequences this would have.
Why did Iran take this step?
Iran’s decision is directly linked to Canada’s decision on June 19, 2024, when Ottawa officially listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. Canada accused the Guards of “having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilise the international rules-based order.”
The designation means IRGC members are barred from entering Canada, Canadians are prohibited from having any dealings with the group or its members, any IRGC-linked assets in Canada can be seized. Iran has now mirrored this action symbolically by naming Canada’s navy as a terrorist group.
What is the IRGC and why is it controversial?
The IRGC is an elite force and an official branch of Iran’s military. It operates with a lot of autonomy and answers directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The United States designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in April 2019, and Australia followed last month accusing the force of being involved in attacks on Australian soil. For years, Canada’s opposition Conservatives had pushed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to blacklist the IRGC.
Flight PS752 tragedy
One of the main reasons behind Canada’s decision was the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752. The flight was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran in January 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The IRGC admitted responsibility but said its operators had mistaken the plane for a hostile target.
Canada later accused Iran at the International Court of Justice of failing “to conduct an impartial, transparent and fair criminal investigation and prosecution consistent with international law.” Iran has said the incident was due to human error, issued sentences for 10 unnamed individuals, and announced compensation of $150,000 per victim claiming payments have begun.
The tensions behind Canada–Iran relations
Relations between the two countries have been strained for decades. Canada cut diplomatic ties in 2012, calling Iran “the most significant threat to global peace.” Ottawa pointed out Iran’s nuclear programme and support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and later ties worsened further after the 2020 plane shootdown.