Iran foreign ministry reacts to Canada's blacklisting of IRGC

The senior Iranian diplomat strongly condemned the politically-motivated and unwise action of the Canadian government in blacklisting the IRGC, considering the decision of the Canadian government as a hostile move and against the standards and accepted principles of international law.

"This irresponsible and provocative move is in line with the wrong path that the Canadian government has taken for more than a decade under the influence of warmongers true violators of human rights and the main founders of terrorism," he stressed.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has an official and legal identity derived from the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which, along with other units of the armed forces, is responsible for guarding the national security and borders of the country, as well as contributing to security and stability and fighting against the sinister phenomenon of terrorism in the region, Kan'ani noted.

He further noted that the hostile action of the Canadian government against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has no effect on generating legitimate and deterrent power and increasing the level and range of authority of this proud force.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to give a proportionate and reciprocal response to this action against international law and against the nation and government of Iran, the foreign ministry official emphasized.

The Iranian official’s comments came hours after Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced that the country had listed the IRGC, which is credited for its domestic and regional anti-terror endeavor, “as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code."

Last month, the Canadian House of Commons adopted a non-binding resolution calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to blacklist the IRGC and expel an estimated 700 Iranians.

Reacting to the motion at the time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani called it "unwise."