Iran Declares Canadian Navy a ‘Terrorist Organization’

By Daniel Orton and Ellie Cook

Iran has labeled Canada's navy a "terrorist organization," escalating tensions between the two countries and raising fresh concerns over diplomatic fallout.

Iran's government said the move was a response to Canada's decision to designate the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a "terrorist entity" in June 2024.

The designation meant Ottawa would officially treat the IRGC, part of Tehran's armed forces, as a terrorist group.

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that the IRGC has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity, or has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with an entity that has knowingly carried out terrorist activity," Canada said at the time.

Iran on Tuesday said the branding of the IRGC as a terrorist group was an "illegal decision" and it deemed Canada's navy a terrorist organization under a domestic law passed in 2019.

That law was passed shortly after the U.S. designated the IRGC a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in July that year.

Iranian lawmakers said at the time its new law would mean any country that followed suit "shall be subject to reciprocity."

Tehran's Supreme National Security Council said in April 2019 it would treat the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as a "terrorist organization" and the U.S. as a “state sponsor of terrorism."

CENTCOM is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia.