U.S. Welcomes Argentina's Decision to Designate IRGC Quds Force as Terrorist

The U.S. State Department welcomed Argentina's decision to designate the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. The U.S. State Department's Persian account quoted the 'Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of the U.S. State Department' stating that the Quds Force, as a key branch of the IRGC, has fueled violence throughout the Middle East and suppressed its own people domestically. This significant step strengthens the global effort to combat Iranian-backed terrorism and supports the people of Iran. Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, signed a decree on Saturday declaring the Quds Force and 13 individuals associated with the IRGC's foreign branch as terrorist entities. 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 the IRGC's 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 of these attacks remains open, and individuals and entities related to them are listed in Argentina's public terrorism and financing registry. According to this decision, members of the Quds Force and its allied networks will face financial sanctions and operational restrictions in Argentina; this action aims to limit the operational capacity of this group and prevent the misuse of Argentina's financial system to economically support their activities. The decree also mentions the role of Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Quds Force from 1989 to 1998, in the AMIA bombing. He is under an Interpol Red Notice for this case. However, the Islamic Republic has not only failed to cooperate with his prosecution but has promoted him in subsequent years and appointed him as the deputy commander of the IRGC. Besides Vahidi, several other officials of the Islamic Republic at the time were also pursued. Argentina's decision to label the Quds Force as terrorist coincides with the bloody suppression of protesters by the IRGC and its proxy arms within Iran. Units such as the Fatemiyoun Brigade, consisting 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 placed the IRGC on their blacklist. The U.S. has long urged other countries to designate this entity as a terrorist organization. A $15 million reward from the U.S. 'Rewards for Justice' program is offered for exposing the IRGC's financial network.