The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has renewed calls for determining the fate of four Iranian diplomats abducted in Lebanon during Israel’s occupation of the country in 1982, stressing that Israel bears full legal and political responsibility for their disappearance.

In a statement released Saturday via Sepah News, the IRGC condemned the abduction of Ahmad Motovasselian, Mohsen Mousavi, Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam, and Kazem Akhavan, labeling it a grave violation of international law. The four men—an embassy military attaché, a chargé d’affaires, an embassy employee, and a photojournalist from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)—were kidnapped on July 4, 1982, in Lebanon. Their fate has remained unknown for over four decades.

Iran maintains that the diplomats were abducted by an armed group and subsequently transferred to areas under Israeli military control to be handed over to Israeli forces. The IRGC emphasized that as the occupying power in Lebanon at the time, Israel is “legally, politically, and criminally responsible” for the incident.

Honoring the missing diplomats as “national heroes” and symbols of resistance, the IRGC expressed solidarity with their families and reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice in their case.

The statement also criticized international inaction, noting that despite Iran’s diplomatic and legal efforts, global bodies have failed to take meaningful steps. The IRGC called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to fulfill their duties by conducting impartial and effective investigations into the abduction.

Appreciating Lebanon’s cooperation over the years, the IRGC urged Beirut to intensify its efforts and proposed the formation of a joint fact-finding committee involving international organizations to help uncover the truth.

In a related development, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a separate statement on Saturday, categorizing the 1982 abduction as a terrorist act and reaffirming Iran’s demand for accountability and justice.

The renewed statements come as part of ongoing efforts by Iranian authorities to keep international attention focused on the decades-old case, which remains a source of national grievance and unresolved diplomatic tension. (ILKHA)