Canada imposes new sanctions against Iranian regime

March 27, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. This is the 10th package of sanctions imposed by Canada against the Iranian regime since October 2022.

Today’s sanctions list eight individuals and two entities, including senior officials in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Law Enforcement Forces (LEF)—for gross and systematic human rights violations in Tehran and in Kurdish and Azeri areas of northwestern Iran—and senior officials involved in unmanned aerial vehicle and ballistic missile production in Iran.

The sanctioned entities support the Iranian regime by helping them disrupt and manipulate the online communications of those protesting the regime or by supplying the LEF with tactical equipment used in the brutal suppression of demonstrations.

This list includes, but is not limited to:

• Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of IRGC forces in Tehran
• Gholamhossein Mohammadi Asl, commander of IRGC forces in Ardabil Province
• Abbas Nilforushan, Deputy Commander of IRGC Operations Command
• Abbas-Ali Mohammadian, Chief of Police in Tehran
• Ghassem Damavandian, senior executive, Qods Aviation Industries
• Nader Khoon Siavash, Director of Aerospace Industries Organization
• Imen Sanat Zaman Fara, a company that manufactures equipment for security forces
• Ravin Academy, a training institute that specializes in cyber-security

Today’s measures prohibit dealings with these listed individuals and entities, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada. Individuals listed in response to gross and systematic violations of human rights are also inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Canada will continue to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to respond to the Iranian regime’s ongoing human rights violations, deployment of propaganda and actions that threaten international peace and stability. This includes working closely with partners and allies to ensure a coordinated and aligned approach to the Iranian regime’s destabilizing actions.