Iran Officially Designates Royal Canadian Navy a Terrorist Organization
- Iran’s foreign ministry has declared the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organisation in a retaliatory move against Ottawa
- The designation followed Canada’s June 19, 2024 decision to blacklist Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over human rights concerns and global security threats
- This latest escalation underscored the deepening diplomatic rift between Tehran and Ottawa, already strained since Canada severed ties in 2012
The Iranian foreign ministry announced on Tuesday, December 30 that it had designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organisation. Officials said the move was taken in retaliation for Canada’s decision in 2024 to blacklist Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In its statement quoted by Times of Israel, the ministry said the action was a direct response to Ottawa’s declaration that the Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, were a terror group “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law.”
Source: Twitter
The statement added:
“Within the framework of reciprocity, Iran identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organisation.” No details were given on what consequences, if any, the Canadian force would face.
Canada’s designation of the IRGC
On June 19, 2024, Canada declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terror group. The decision barred its members from entering Canada and prohibited Canadians from engaging with individual members or the organisation.
Authorities in Ottawa also confirmed that any assets held by the Guards or their members in Canada could be seized.
Canada accused the IRGC of “having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilise the international rules-based order.”
Flight PS752 and human rights concerns
One of the reasons cited for Ottawa’s designation was the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020. The plane was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
The IRGC admitted responsibility, saying its forces had mistaken the aircraft for a hostile target.
Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, describing the country as “the most significant threat to global peace.”
Iran’s move against the Royal Canadian Navy followed similar actions by other nations. The United States listed the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation in April 2019. More recently, Australia designated the Guards as a terror group, accusing them of being behind attacks on Australian soil.
Source: Twitter
US: 8 terrorist groups operating in Nigeria
Legit.ng earlier reported that according to the United States official website, several terrorist organisations in Nigeria and across Africa have been identified as groups of particular concern. These groups have carried out violent campaigns, destabilised regions, and posed threats to governments and civilians.
Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (JAS), was founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf. The group began an armed rebellion in July 2009 with the aim of overthrowing the Nigerian government and establishing a state based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Ansaru, formally called Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (“Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa”), emerged in 2012 as a splinter faction of Boko Haram. The group operated mainly in northwest and north-central Nigeria and aligned itself with al-Qaeda. It was reported that Ansaru broke away in protest against Boko Haram’s indiscriminate killing of Muslim civilians.
Source: Legit.ng
