The decision was made on the eve of the anniversary of prosecutor Alberto Nisman's death, a gesture laden with political symbolism. While Iran speaks of a violation of international law, the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires "celebrated the decision," stating that the Quds Force has "fueled violence across the Middle East and beyond." The office of President Milei reaffirmed its commitment to "recognize terrorists for what they are" and emphasized that Argentina now stands with "Western civilization." Iran's warning of an "appropriate response" has put national security and intelligence agencies on alert over the possibility of diplomatic retaliation or asymmetric attacks. The Argentine government's decision to include the Quds Force in the Public Registry of Persons and Entities Linked to Acts of Terrorism has drawn a sharp reaction from Iran. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a press conference in Tehran that the country "will receive an appropriate response." He called the measure a "dangerous political act" and questioned designating an official division of a sovereign nation's armed forces as a criminal organization. For the Casa Rosada, the Quds Force is not a conventional military unit but the executive arm of global terrorist operations and the main culprit for the attacks suffered on Argentine soil in 1992 and 1994. The Quds Force is an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), responsible for intelligence and direct action operations outside of Iran's borders. Mission: Training and financing of allied groups (such as Hezbollah and Hamas) and the execution of covert operations. Link to Argentina: The government recalled that Ahmad Vahidi, who commanded this force in the 1990s, has a Red Notice from Interpol for the AMIA bombing. Effect of the measure: The designation implies the immediate freezing of financial assets in the country and operational restrictions for any member or entity linked to this group.
