On Wednesday, Canada announced that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has been included on its list of terrorist groups. The government cited Iran’s disregard for human rights and efforts to disrupt global stability as reasons for the decision. This move was immediately met with backlash from Tehran, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanani calling it irresponsible and hostile. He threatened a proportionate response to Canada.
With this designation, members of the IRGC can now be prosecuted in Canada and their assets can be frozen. Additionally, senior officials affiliated with the IRGC are prohibited from entering Canadian territory. While Canada had previously designated the Quds Force as a terrorist group, this decision extends the designation to the entire Iranian military. The move follows the US model, which added the Revolutionary Guard to its terrorist list in 2019.
