Argentina Labels IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Global Pressure

Argentina has designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, attributing the decision to its support for Hezbollah. The measure follows pressure from the Trump administration and opens up the implementation of sanctions. The IRGC and Hezbollah are already labeled as terrorist organizations by the U.S.

Argentina has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, according to a statement from the presidential office released on Tuesday. This decision follows a concerted push from the Trump administration for allies to classify the IRGC in a similar fashion.

The decision comes due to the IRGC's backing of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based group blamed by Argentina for the 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires' AMIA Jewish community center, which resulted in 85 fatalities and many injuries. The new status will allow for the enforcement of financial sanctions and additional operational restrictions on the IRGC.

The IRGC is known as an elite military unit dedicated to safeguarding Iran's Shi'ite Muslim clerical rule, having considerable economic influence within the country. Both IRGC and Hezbollah are already recognized as terrorist entities by the United States and several other nations. Argentina's move aligns its policy closer to that of the U.S., as seen days earlier when it similarly designated Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a terrorist organization.

(With inputs from agencies.)