Iran has hit out at an "unwise" motion at the Canadian House which calls on the Ottawa government to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group.

According to The Iran Project, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani on Saturday highlighted the role which the IRGC plays in countering threats against the country and terrorism in the region. 

"Along with other elements of the armed forces, the IRGC is responsible for guarding the national security and borders of the country, as well as contributing to lasting security and stability in the region by confronting the sinister phenomenon of terrorism," he said.

“The IRGC is a sovereign institution derived from the heart of the great and powerful nation of Iran and has an official and legal identity taken from the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

His remarks came after the Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday adopted a non-binding resolution calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to blacklist the IRGC and expel an estimated 700 Iranians. 

Kan’ani strongly condemned the move, calling it “unwise, hostile and contrary to the accepted standards and principles of the international law, including the equality of sovereignties and non-interference in the internal affairs of states”.

The motion is "an example of an attack on the sovereignty and national security of Iran", he said.