Canada has officially designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
This announcement, made on Wednesday, comes amid heightened tensions and longstanding calls from Canadian lawmakers to take a firmer stance against Iran’s elite military force.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the decision at a press conference, stating, “Our government has decided to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.”
This designation aligns the IRGC with other groups that are deemed to pose significant threats to global security.
The decision to label the IRGC a terrorist organization has been a contentious issue within Canadian politics.
Opposition lawmakers have long advocated for this measure, arguing that it is necessary to counteract Iran’s destabilizing activities.
However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s liberal government had previously hesitated, citing potential unintended consequences of such a designation.
The IRGC, established in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution, is a powerful faction within Iran, wielding significant influence over the country’s military, political, and economic spheres.
It includes the Quds Force, its external operations arm, which Canada had already designated as a terrorist organization. The IRGC has been implicated in numerous acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, both within Iran and internationally.
Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, citing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, its support for terrorism, and human rights violations. T
his move further isolates Iran on the international stage and underscores Canada’s commitment to confronting state-sponsored terrorism.
The IRGC has been involved in various conflicts and activities that have drawn international condemnation.
It supports militant groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and various factions in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Its involvement in these regions has often been seen as a direct challenge to Western interests and regional stability.
The designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization by Canada follows similar actions taken by other countries. In 2019, the United States made a landmark decision to designate the entire IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization.
