Iran Labels Royal Canadian Navy a “Terrorist Organization”

On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) a “terrorist organization.” This decision seems to be a political response to Canada’s earlier classification of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity last year.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry didn’t actually accuse the RCN of engaging in any terrorist activities. Instead, they claimed this was a response based on a principle of reciprocity, as outlined in a recent statement.

Interestingly, Iran didn’t elaborate on how this new designation might impact the RCN. Their statement referred to a law established by Iran’s parliament in 2019, which mandates reciprocal actions against nations cooperating with the U.S. regarding the IRGC’s designation.

The IRGC, an arm of Iran’s military operating under theocratic control, plays a significant role in both military and economic sectors in Iran, functioning largely without oversight from the secular government. This body is known for its funding of terrorist groups throughout the Middle East. The Quds Force, a unit within the IRGC, is specifically charged with destabilizing other governments and conducting operations beyond Iran’s borders.

In April 2019, the U.S. Department of State designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), citing its direct involvement in various terrorist plots and the tragic deaths of American citizens.

The Canadian government followed suit by listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization in June 2024. This had immediate consequences, such as freezing the assets of the IRGC in Canada and imposing criminal penalties on Canadians engaging with properties controlled by Iranian entities.

Canada has also identified several terrorist organizations that receive backing from the IRGC, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Taliban. Notably, in December 2012, the Quds Force was already labeled a terrorist organization, coinciding with Canada severing diplomatic ties with Iran.

In November 2022, Canada took steps to classify Iran as a regime involved in terrorism and serious human rights violations, leading to travel bans for many Iranian officials, including members of the IRGC.

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that Canada based its decision to classify the IRGC as a criminal organization on strong evidence and a thorough deliberation process.

However, the Liberal Party of Canada had hesitated to categorize the entire IRGC as a terrorist group, despite U.S. actions. They expressed concerns about unintended consequences for Iranians affected by military service obligations or those sending remittances from Canada.

The considerable financial power of the IRGC made implementing sanctions more challenging than targeting the relatively smaller Quds Force. Additionally, the Liberal Party didn’t want to adopt a more aggressive stance on Iran than the U.S.

The calculus within the Liberal Party began to shift after the IRGC shot down a Ukrainian airliner in January 2020, killing all 176 passengers, including 85 Canadians.

Even in light of this tragedy, some Canadian progressives, like former ambassador Dennis Horak, were encouraging a more measured approach, cautioning that labeling the IRGC as a terrorist organization might hinder cooperation regarding the airliner incident investigation.

Horak suggested that priorities should focus on ensuring accountability and pursuing reparations from Iran in a manner congruent with Islamic law and tradition.