Iran has designated the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation, escalating diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Ottawa following Canada’s decision last year to blacklist Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Iranian foreign ministry announced the designation on Tuesday, describing the move as a reciprocal response to Canada’s classification of the IRGC as a terrorist group in June 2024.
In a statement, the ministry said Canada’s action violated “the fundamental principles of international law,” adding that Iran, “within the framework of reciprocity, identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation.”
No specific measures or penalties accompanying the designation were outlined.
Canada formally designated the IRGC on June 19, 2024, a move that bars its members from entering the country, prohibits Canadians from engaging with the group or its affiliates, and allows for the seizure of any IRGC-linked assets within Canadian jurisdiction.
Ottawa accused the IRGC of persistent human rights abuses and actions that undermine the international rules-based order.
The designation followed years of pressure from opposition lawmakers and intensified calls after Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel in April 2024.
In May 2024, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously adopted a report urging the government to proceed with the designation. The decision was also shaped by the 2020 downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 shortly after takeoff from Tehran, which killed all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Iran later admitted the aircraft was shot down by IRGC forces after being misidentified as a hostile target.
Canada severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012, citing concerns over regional security and human rights. The United States designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organisation in 2019, while Australia took a similar step in recent weeks, citing alleged involvement of the force in activities threatening national security.
The latest exchange marks a further deterioration in relations between Iran and Western governments, with no immediate indication of de-escalation.
