Iran Summons Italian Envoy over Canada's Decision against IRGC

The Director-General for Americas at the Foreign Ministry summoned Paola Amadei, Italy's ambassador to Tehran, who also represents Canada's interests in the Islamic Republic.

The 59-year-old diplomat was informed of Tehran's strong protest against Ottawa's violation of international law and warned about the consequences.

The Iranian diplomat also emphasized the Islamic Republic's right to take appropriate measures in reaction to Canada's move.

The Italian ambassador affirmed the swift communication of Iran's concerns to the Canadian government.

In a hostile move against Iran, Canada's Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday listed the IRGC as a so-called "terrorist entity" and called on Canadians in Iran to leave.

A move that was strongly condemned by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nasser Kanaani, who described this imprudent decision by the Canadian government as a hostile act contrary to the accepted principles of international law, including the equality of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and as an affront to Iran's national sovereignty.

The Iranian official emphasized that the IRGC is a sovereign institution derived from the heart of the Iranian people, with an official and legal identity emanating from the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Alongside other elements of the armed forces, it is responsible for safeguarding national security, protecting the country's borders, and contributing to sustainable security and stability in the region by combating the malignant phenomenon of terrorism.

On Thursday, Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani also condemned Canada's decision to blacklist the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). He described the move as a senseless gift to the Israeli regime, terrorists, and other enemies of peace and stability in West Asia.

"Canada's unlawful act of declaring an integral part of the official military force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has played an irreplaceable role in defending the national security and territorial integrity of dear Iran, and protecting the security and stability of the region and confronting the Daesh-like terrorism, was malicious and violates the principles and rules of international law," Baqeri Kani wrote on the social media platform X.

"May all enemies be afraid of you! May the hearts of the wicked ones be cut in half!" the interim Iranian Foreign Minister declared in a Persian poem.

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

This move makes Canada the second country in North America after the United States to blacklist the IRGC.

Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran and closed its Tehran embassy in 2012, citing various reasons, including Iran's support for Syria, its nuclear activities, and alleged threats to Israel.

In the same year, however, Ottawa removed the anti-Iran terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from its list of terrorist organizations.

In 2022, Iran's Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions on eight Canadian officials and one institution over their support for anti-Iran terrorists and acts of terror, among other things.

Canada has also served as a safe haven for Iranian embezzlers, who have fled there, knowing that Ottawa would not extradite them.