The Argentine government, led by President Javier Milei, has officially designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and expelled the Islamic Republic's highest-ranking diplomat in the country.
The move, announced on Thursday, April 2, 2026, marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between Buenos Aires and Tehran.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry declared Mohsen Tehrani, Iran's top-ranking diplomat in Buenos Aires, persona non grata. Tehrani has been ordered to leave Argentine territory within 48 hours.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the expulsion was a response to “false, offensive, and improper accusations” made by Iranian officials against the Argentine state.
In addition to the diplomatic expulsion, the official labeling of the IRGC as a terrorist entity allows the Argentine government to impose immediate financial sanctions. These measures include freezing assets and placing strict limitations on the organization’s financial activities within the nation.
Argentina has historically maintained a complicated relationship with Iran, largely centered on the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) community center. The attack killed 85 people and remains one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in the country’s history.
For decades, Argentine judicial authorities have accused high-level Iranian officials and the group Hezbollah of coordinating the AMIA attack. Iran has consistently denied any involvement.
This policy shift is viewed by international analysts as one of the most assertive stances taken by a Latin American nation against the Iranian government in recent years. It aligns with President Milei’s broader goal of strengthening ties with Western allies.
In Washington, the administration of President Donald Trump has historically advocated for increased global pressure on the IRGC. While the White House has not issued an immediate formal comment, the move is consistent with the current administration's foreign policy priorities regarding Iranian influence.
Israeli officials welcomed the announcement on Thursday, describing it as a show of “moral clarity” in addressing international security threats.
Iran has yet to provide an official response to the expulsion of its diplomat or the terrorist designation of its state military branch.