Argentina Declares IRGC Quds Force and 13 Associated Individuals as Terrorists

On Saturday, Argentine President Javier Milei signed a decree declaring the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and 13 individuals associated with its foreign branch as terrorist entities and individuals. The decree states that the Quds Force is part of the IRGC that specializes in training, organizing, and supporting terrorist operations outside of Iran. Argentina was targeted by deadly attacks attributed to the Quds Force and its foreign branch in the 1990s. In 1992, a bomb explosion at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires left 29 dead. Two years later, in 1994, a car bomb targeted the AMIA Jewish community center, resulting in 85 deaths and over 300 injuries; this attack is considered the deadliest terrorist act in Argentina's history. The case regarding these attacks remains open, and individuals and entities associated with it are listed in Argentina's public terrorism and financing registry. Under this decision, members of the Quds Force and its allied networks will face financial sanctions and operational restrictions in Argentina, aimed at limiting the operational capacity of this group and preventing the misuse of Argentina's financial system to support their activities. The decree also references the role of Ahmad Vahidi, the Quds Force commander from 1989 to 1998, in the AMIA bombing. He is subject to an Interpol Red Notice due to this case. However, the Islamic Republic has not only failed to cooperate with the prosecution against him but has also promoted him in subsequent years, appointing him as the deputy commander of the IRGC. In addition to Vahidi, several other officials of the Islamic Republic at the time are also under prosecution. Argentina's decision to label the Quds Force as terrorists coincides with the bloody crackdown on protesters by the IRGC and its proxy arms within Iran. Units such as the Fatemiyoun Brigade, composed of Afghan forces, the Zainabiyoun Brigade, including Pakistani forces, and some Iraqi militia groups were involved in the massacre of protesters on Thursday and Friday, January 7 and 8, 2025. Currently, the United States, Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Ecuador have listed the IRGC in their blacklists. The United States has long urged other countries to designate this entity as a terrorist organization. A $15 million reward has been offered under the U.S. 'Rewards for Justice' program for information leading to the exposure of the IRGC's financial network. The White House has issued a serious warning to the Islamic Republic regarding the crackdown on protests in Iran, expressing strong support for the Iranian people.