TEHRAN -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has once again held the Israeli regime accountable for the 1982 kidnapping of four Iranian diplomats in Lebanon, describing the act as a “terrorist” crime and demanding that international bodies take immediate action to clarify the fate of the missing diplomats.
In a statement marking the 43rd anniversary of the abduction, the IRGC emphasized that Israel bears “legal, political, and criminal” responsibility for the disappearance of the diplomats on July 4, 1982. 
Ahmad Motovasselian, Iran’s military attaché in Beirut, Mohsen Mousavi, the Iranian chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam, an embassy staff member, and Kazem Akhavan, a photographer for the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), were abducted by Israeli-affiliated armed groups during Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
The IRGC once again asserted that the diplomats were handed over to Israeli forces and transferred to the occupied territories after their abduction. Iran has repeatedly called for the formation of a fact-finding mission by international organizations to determine their whereabouts and ensure justice.
The abduction took place amid Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has consistently condemned the kidnapping as an “act of terrorism” and has urged the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other human rights bodies to take concrete steps to investigate the case, though Iran has voiced frustration with the lack of action over the past four decades.
The IRGC’s statement also linked the anniversary to the broader regional context, referencing the recent military aggression and hitting out at Israel and the United States of initiating a “12-day war” against Iran. The statement argued that Iran’s decisive response to the aggression exposed the “fragility” of the Israeli regime and its growing crisis of legitimacy.
The IRGC warned that Israel and its supporters would not escape responsibility for their past crimes, emphasizing that every act of aggression would further accelerate the collapse of the “fake” regime. It also commended Lebanon’s efforts on the issue, urging the country to cooperate with international bodies to form a joint fact-finding committee to investigate the fate of the kidnapped diplomats.