U.S. representatives call on Canada to designate Iran's IRGC

In a letter, 14 members of Congress said the Islamic Republic Guard Corps facilitated Hamas's Oct. 7 attack in Israel and needs to be stopped


OTTAWA – A group of U.S. representatives is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to officially designate Iran’s Islamic Republic Guard Corps as a terrorist group, something Canadian parliamentarians have demanded of the Liberals for years.

The 14 members of Congress, from both the Republican and Democratic parties, sent the letter to Trudeau Wednesday pleading with him to list the Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity.

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“By officially designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, Canada can join the United States in once again contributing to the global fight against terrorism, demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring peace and stability,” they said in the letter. “In both words and deeds, the IRGC as an entity is ideologically committed to destroying Israel and undermining U.S.-Canadian security interests in the Middle East and around the world.”

Both the House of Commons and the Senate have passed resolutions in recent years calling for the group to receive a terrorist designation, but the government has so far ignored those calls. The U.S., Sweden, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have listed the group as a terrorist entity.

The IRGC is an arm of the Iranian military and is a major supporter of terrorist groups including Hamas, which launched the Oct. 7 attack killing more than 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapping 240 more.

In their letter, the members of Congress said the IRGC facilitated those attacks and needs to be stopped.

“The October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre by Hamas killed Israeli, American, and Canadian citizens, and it was made possible by Iran and the IRGC, which have supported Canadian-designated Palestinian terror groups such as Hamas with arms, training, and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for years.”

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Canada has designated a branch of the IRGC, the Quds Force, as a terrorist entity and the representatives argued Trudeau should take the next step and list the entire group.

Canada has declared dozens of groups as terrorist entities since 2003 when it brought in legislation setting up the list. Once on the list, it becomes illegal for anyone in Canada to do business with the group or to join or participate in its actions.