Colombia breaks diplomatic ties with Iran

On Thursday, Colombia's Foreign Ministry announced it had severed diplomatic ties with Iran and labeled the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, according to statements published on the ministry's website. The decision, the government claimed, was taken to safeguard "national and hemispheric security, and the fight against transnational crime."

Iran was accused of having "alleged ties to international terrorist groups and other narco-terrorist groups that threaten Colombia's security." The ministry also considered documented human rights violations by Iran on its territory, attacks against countries not involved in the Middle East conflict, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) efforts to verify Iran's nuclear program.

Regarding the IRGC, the foreign ministry described the Iranian armed force as posing a "serious threat to international peace and security" through "covert operations beyond Iran's borders." The ministry added that "Colombia will strengthen its control and security measures to prevent individuals associated with the IRGC from entering its territory."

Foreign Minister Omar Bula, in his 2017 book "Watch Your Backyard," had previously stated that "Iran and Islamic extremist groups such as Hezbollah and Al Qaeda have profusely penetrated Latin America." President Abelardo de la Espriella has, as part of his foreign policy, re-established ties with the United States, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.