Backgrounder: Canada imposes additional sanctions against Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security through destabilizing activities across the Middle East and the world.

Iran remains a destabilizing force including through malign activities carried out by its security forces and through sustained support to non-state militias and terrorist armed groups, collectively referred to as the “Axis of Resistance.”

Iran’s backing of terrorist proxy groups—including Hamas, Hizballah and the Houthis, which Canada has designated as terrorist entities or has sanctioned—includes financial assistance, the provision of arms, technology transfers, and training, as well as ideological and political support.

Within its borders, Iran continues to repress dissidents and human rights defenders through killings, threats, violence, surveillance and arbitrary arrests. Beyond its borders, Iran engages in transnational repression to target perceived opponents abroad.

Today’s amendments add seven (7) individuals to Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations for their participation, directly or indirectly, in Iran-directed activities that undermine international peace, security or stability.

With today’s announcement, Canada has sanctioned a total of 478 Iranian individuals and entities across Iran’s security, intelligence and economic apparatus, pursuant to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations and the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, with the majority of these measures imposed since 2022.

This total includes 222 individuals and 256 entities listed under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, three Iranian individuals listed under the Special Economic Measures (Hamas Terrorist Attacks) Regulations, two Iranian entities listed under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations and two Iranian individuals under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act.

These measures impose a dealings prohibition, effectively freezing any assets that sanctioned persons may hold in Canada and prohibiting persons in Canada and Canadians abroad from making property available to sanctioned persons. Listed individuals are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Individuals

The newly listed individuals are the following:

1. Naji Ibrahim Sharifi Zindashti, head of the “Zindashti” network, a transnational organized crime network working in collaboration with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security
2. Reza Hamidiravari, intelligence officer for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security
3. Mohammed Reza Ansari, a senior official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force Unit QF-840
4. Ali Esfanjani, informant, facilitator and associate of the “Zindashti” network
5. Muhammed Abd Al-Razek Kanafani, facilitator and associate of Mohammed Reza Ansari a senior official with IRGC Quds Force Unit QF-840; 
6. Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan, logistical planner, facilitator and associate of the “Zindashti” network
7. Mohammed Reza Naserzadeh, facilitator of and former staff member at the civil registry department of the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye