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The government of Javier Milei has designated the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, as a terrorist organization, a move that aligns Argentina with the United States and Israel in the fight against extremism funded by Tehran.
The decision was confirmed through an official statement issued by the President's Office, which also includes the addition of thirteen individuals linked to that military structure in the Public Register of Persons and Entities related to Terrorism Acts and their Financing (RePET).
According to the official text, the Quds Force "is a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, specialized in training for carrying out terrorist attacks in other countries."
The statement recalled that Argentina was a victim of their operations in the 1990s, in the attacks against the Israeli Embassy (1992) and AMIA (1994), both involving senior Iranian officials and the Hezbollah group.
The Argentine government emphasized that the measure entails financial sanctions and operational restrictions for members of the Quds Force and their allies, with the aim of “limiting their capacity to act and protecting the national financial system from being used to economically support their activities.”
The text also mentions Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the unit from 1989 to 1998, who is implicated in the attack on the AMIA and is subject to a red notice from Interpol.
"The Iranian regime has not only failed to cooperate with his judgment, but has also promoted him," the statement noted.
The measure was welcomed by the United States, which expressed its public support for Milei's government. In a statement issued by the State Department, Washington stated:
“The United States welcomes Argentina's decision, under the leadership of President Javier Milei, to designate the Quds Force as a terrorist organization. As a key arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds Force has fueled violence throughout the Middle East and beyond, while oppressing its own people domestically. This significant step strengthens the global effort to counter Iranian-backed terrorism and support the Iranian people.”
The Argentine decision places the country within the group of nations that consider the Quds Force to be a terrorist organization, including the United States, Israel, and several European powers.
This step reinforces the alignment of the new Argentine government with the strategy of Donald Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, focused on reconfiguring the map of hemispheric alliances and hardening the response to regimes and organizations linked to global terrorism.
The Quds Force, whose name in Arabic and Persian means "Jerusalem," was established to operate outside Iranian territory and carry out covert missions, training, and funding of allied militias.
Various international organizations identify her as responsible for coordinating attacks in Beirut, Iraq, and Syria, and for supporting groups such as Hezbollah.
The inclusion of the Quds Force in the Argentine registry marks a historic shift in the South American country's foreign policy, which for years maintained more ambiguous positions towards the Iranian regime.
With this decision, Milei reaffirms his commitment to the Peace Board, the international initiative promoted by the United States to coordinate anti-terrorism efforts and democratic defense actions.
"Argentina cannot forget the wounds of terrorism nor be indifferent to those who promote it," said a spokesperson for the Executive, referring to the attacks of the 1990s that remain unpunished.
The decision, celebrated in Washington and Jerusalem, marks Argentina's return to a hemispheric security agenda that is more closely tied to the United States, at a time when Latin America is facing new challenges due to the expansion of extremism and the interference of external actors such as Iran and Russia.
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