courtesy of "Ag Group Enterprise Inc."

Iranian man disputes security label after refused permit to study in Canada

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By Jim Bronskill  The Canadian Press

An Iranian man is challenging the federal government’s decision to deny him a permit to study at a Montreal university because he is considered a danger to the security of Canada.

A lawyer for Reza Jahantigh says his client was distraught upon learning of the refusal and will seek judicial review in Federal Court.

The Immigration Department’s decision last month is the latest indication Ottawa is tightening restrictions on academics deemed to pose a national security risk.

In October 2019, Jahantigh applied for a study permit to pursue a PhD in computer engineering at Montreal’s École de technologie supérieure, a university that specializes in applied engineering.

Jahantigh, whose research is related to blockchain technology, completed the first semesters of his program online from Iran, beginning in 2020. However, the program requires him to attend in person for the remaining courses of his doctorate degree.

Lawyer Samin Mortazavi, who represents Jahantigh, says he has found no evidence the student’s activities pose a danger to Canada.

“I don’t see any security issue,” Mortazavi said in an interview. “He’s just a typical PhD student.”

Jahantigh cried for two or three minutes straight when told of the permit denial, Mortazavi said. “He couldn’t even talk to me.”

In December 2022, after waiting more than three years on his study permit application, Jahantigh asked the Federal Court to intervene and order the Immigration Department to make a decision.

Last September, the day before the court application was to be heard, a Canadian immigration officer in Ankara, Turkey, issued a letter saying the department had reasonable grounds to believe Jahantigh may be inadmissible to Canada under federal immigration law for “being a danger to the security of Canada.”

The unnamed officer noted Jahantigh, now 33, had declared his service in the Iranian military as a technician from June 2016 to March 2018. Jahantigh then became a full-time employee at a private firm, rising to the position of senior software engineer.

The immigration officer expressed concern about “the work you could have engaged in” at the company, previous work as a research assistant, and “possible future research areas while completing your doctorate studies that may be considered as sensitive areas of research.”

“There is no requirement that an individual who is inadmissible to Canada on security grounds be personally involved in acts of violence,” the officer’s letter reads. “The threat need not be direct; rather it may be grounded in distant events that indirectly have a real possibility of harming Canadian security.”

Mortazavi said Jahantigh, like other young Iranian men, was required to do a couple of years of military service.

In addition, the private company that hired Jahantigh is involved in video game development, not work related to the Iranian government, the lawyer said.

The immigration officer gave Jahantigh 30 days to submit additional information.

On Dec. 18, the department confirmed its preliminary finding and rejected Jahantigh’s permit application on security grounds.

Ottawa warns that hostile nations try to exploit key segments of Canada’s economy to advance their own strategic military, intelligence, security and economic interests. Canada has issued research security guidelines aimed at protecting institutions and intellectual property.

In a ruling released last week, the Federal Court upheld a decision to deny a study permit to a Chinese man who was ruled inadmissible to Canada on security grounds.

In that case, the court affirmed a finding there were reasonable grounds to believe that Yuekang Li may engage in an act of espionage against Canada.

Li, who wanted to study at the University of Waterloo, had obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from a university in China that has a strong relationship with the defence industry in that country.

 

'Global concern': High stakes for Canada to have role in widening U.S.-Iran conflict, experts say

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Christl Dabu
CTVNews.ca National Affairs Writer
Updated 
Published 

Canada will likely have a role in supporting the United States with its retaliatory attacks against Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq following a deadly drone strike against U.S. troops last weekend in Jordan, say some Canadian analysts.

When asked if Canada would be involved in the growing conflict, the federal government declined to speculate on what it would be.

"Canada strongly condemns the attack by Iran-backed groups against United States forces in Jordan," said Department of National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin in an email to CTVNews.ca, adding that Canada extends its condolences to the families of the fallen U.S. soldiers. "Canada will continue to support our partners in the fight against terrorism in the region – but we will not speculate on potential future military operations at this time."

A drone strike killed three U.S. soldiers(opens in a new tab) at the Tower 22 base on Jan. 28. Two Navy SEALs also died(opens in a new tab) after one went overboard and the other tried to rescue him during a Jan. 11 mission on a ship to confiscate what U.S. officials said were illicit Iranian-made weapons bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Washington blamed the attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias. Iran denied any involvement in it.

The drone, which the U.S. determined was made by Iran, also wounded more than 40 troops at the base in Jordan, Reuters reported.

The U.S. military said it launched retaliatory airstrikes Friday in Iraq and Syria(opens in a new tab) against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the militias they support.

Syrian state media said on Friday that an "American aggression" on the sites resulted in a number of casualties and injuries.

Canada's possible role in conflict

While Ottawa won't speculate on Canada's possible role in the widening conflict, some observers expect that Canada will be involved in some way.

Ali Ghanbarpour-Dizboni, chair of the military and strategic studies program at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., says it's necessary for Canada to honour its obligations toward the United States as its "most important security and commercial partner."

"Canada must show somehow support diplomatically, economically, militarily as much as it can," he said in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca. "Because the United States has the capacity to do all those strikes alone, they do not necessarily need Canada. However, the Canadian government must show support if United States needs Canada because it's also about the alliance between the two countries."

While Ghanbarpour-Dizboni doesn't believe Canada will be directly involved, he said "the Canadian Forces will be involved somehow ... within the framework of the bilateral or multilateral co-operation, providing assistance to American forces."

Since Canada is already helping NATO partners such as in Ukraine(opens in a new tab), he said it will be "another balancing act that Canada has to do in terms of resources and commitment."

Ghanbarpour-Dizboni expects Canada to provide logistical or general assistance involving airstrikes and drone strikes rather than military combat since the U.S. doesn't want to have boots on the ground.

Walter Dorn, a professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College and Canadian Forces College in Toronto, believes Canada's role will be "very minor." He anticipates it will be similar to Canada's response in helping the multinational coalition defend commercial ships in the Red Sea, a major artery for global trade.

Reuters has reported that Iranian-backed Houthi militants have been attacking international shipping vessels in the Red Sea(opens in a new tab) in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war with Israel(opens in a new tab) in the Gaza Strip.

"Canada is likely to endorse U.S. actions against Iranian-backed groups, given that Canada will likely receive intelligence on the reasons for attacking these groups," Dorn said in an email to CTVNews.ca, though he cautions that the intelligence could be wrong, such as the case with incorrect allegations and faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction held by then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein two decades ago.

James Horncastle, assistant professor and the Edward and Emily McWhinney professor in international relations at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., says Canada will likely have an "indirect" role in the conflict.

"These efforts make sense both in terms of Canada’s alliance with the United States and in terms of recognizing that Canada’s direct force projection capabilities are limited," he said in an email to CTVNews.ca.

As an example, if the United States launches "cyber efforts" against Iran, he anticipates that Canada will provide support, either officially or unofficially, through its membership in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.

'A threat to the entire world'

Aurel Braun, professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto and associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, says it's necessary for Canada to have a role and support its allies like the U.S.

"We are being challenged by Iran. And this is what we need to understand that what happens inside Iraq, what is happening with the Houthi, what's happening with Hamas, all go back to one central address. And that central address is … Iran," he said in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca.

He said Iran has "an incredibly dangerous" and "extremely repressive" regime with a fanatical interpretation of Islam. The regime is anti-democratic with ambitions to dominate the Middle East, destroy its enemies, drive western powers out of the region and acquire nuclear weapons, he added.

"This is not just an American concern, this is a regional concern. And ultimately, it is a global concern," he said. "This regime, if it gets nuclear weapons, it will be a threat to the entire world. … And so, if we don't do our share, we are in a sense, shirking our international responsibilities.

Braun said the U.S. needs to target Iran, rather than its proxies. So far, he says "deterrence" – a psychological relationship that persuades the other side that the cost of attacking it would outweigh the benefits of doing so -- isn't working. Iranian proxies continue to attack ships in the Red Sea and Americans in the region, he noted as a few examples.

"The octopus is the Iranian theocracy that has unlimited ambitions and has been playing very cleverly, the game of chess where the west have been playing checkers," Braun said. "So far, we have done very poorly. … But the deterrence is not working. At least, not well against Iran."

Peter Denton, an associate professor in the Department of History at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., has a different view. He doesn't believe Canada should be involved in the conflict with Iran and its proxies.

"Even given that for technical reasons our military support would be largely symbolic, we should not be supporting military action in a theatre where we will have no combat decision-making role, especially using the ethical-murky weapons of missiles, rockets and drones," Denton said in an email to CTVNews.ca. "Further, the last thing the world needs is another regional conflict — we need wiser heads on all sides, if our children are going to inherit anything more than a bombed-out, over-heated shell of what the world (and civilization) used to be."

He suggests that Canada should signal its support for moderates in Iran who are working towards peace and prosperity. "More rockets and drones will not bring about peace — but they will ensure greater profits for the munitions-makers, on all sides, and will encourage the extremist elements to continue the bloodshed," he said. 

 

Canada’s refugee board orders deportation of senior Iranian official

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By Stewart Bell  Global News
Posted February 2, 2024 10:37 am

The Immigration and Refugee Board has ordered the deportation of an Iranian government official who has been living in Canada for the past eight months.

In a decision Friday, the board ruled that Majid Iranmanesh was inadmissible to Canada because he was a senior member of Iran’s repressive regime.

The 54-year-old was director general of Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology. He entered Canada using a visa issued in Turkey.

He said he intended to spend a year as a visiting professor at the University of Victoria, but after arriving he was flagged as a senior regime member.

At a hearing on Jan. 11, Iranmanesh denied holding a senior position in the government, and said he wanted to return to Iran as soon as possible.

But the Canada Border Services Agency argued he “continues to be a high valued senior official” in the Iranian government and should be deported.

IRB Member Mary Heyes agreed, ruling that Iranmanaesh served in the top half of the hierarchy of the regime, and was therefore a senior official.

He is among nine alleged Iranian officials who have turned up in Canada and face deportation proceedings. A 10th individual left the country voluntarily.

Seyed Salman Samani, Iran’s former deputy interior minister, was scheduled to appear before the refugee board for an inadmissibility hearing on Feb. 8.

But Iranmanesh is the first to face deportation under sanctions adopted in November 2022 that banned senior members of the Iranian regime from Canada.

The sanctions were imposed two months after Iran’s morality police detained and killed Mahsa Amini for showing her hair in public.

The killing set off worldwide demonstrations against the cleric-run regime that controls Iran, and led to the imposition of new sanctions.

Canada responded by designating the Tehran government a regime engaged in “terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations.”

The policy effectively barred tens of thousands of Iranian officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members from Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency said 86 such investigations had been launched into possible Iranian officials, partly as a result of tips from the public.

“To date, 10 individuals have been reported inadmissible by the CBSA for being a senior official in the Iranian regime,” the agency added.

Three of the cases have been referred to the IRB for hearings, but one of the individuals left the country before the proceedings began.

“So far, 40 investigations were closed by the CBSA for individuals who were either out of the country or deemed not inadmissible to Canada.”

In addition, 82 visas were cancelled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The figures are as of Jan. 8, 2024.

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Second alleged senior Iranian official sent for deportation hearing under Canadian sanctions

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By Stewart Bell & Mackenzie Gray  Global News

A second alleged senior Iranian official found living in Canada is undergoing deportation proceedings, Global News has learned.

Canada has launched a case against Iranmanesh Majid, the Immigration and Refugee Board said on Wednesday.

No information about Majid or his alleged role in the Iranian regime has been released.

But he is being processed for possible deportation under sanctions introduced last year that banned senior members of Iran’s government from Canada.

Refugee Board spokesperson Anna Pape said the agency’s Immigration Division had received the case on Nov. 29. It is being handled by the IRB’s Toronto office, she said.

The case was scheduled to begin on Jan. 17, 2024. The IRB will conduct hearings to decide whether there are sufficient grounds to deport Majid over alleged ties to Iran’s regime.

“People who have no place in Canada will be removed,” Bill Blair, the Minister of National Defence, said in Ottawa. “We need the cooperation of the community. We need information in order to deal effectively with these individuals.”

“When individuals have been involved in activity that would make them ineligible to be in this country, we’ll do everything we can to keep them out. And when they do get into this country, we’ll do everything we can to remove them.”

It is the second case launched under the Canadian sanctions, imposed after Iran’s morality police killed Mahsa Amini for showing her hair in public.

Canada responded by designating Iran’s government a regime engaged in “terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations.”

The policy effectively barred tens of thousands of Iranian officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members from entering Canada.

Last week, Global News revealed that Seyed Salman Samani, 42, had been referred to the IRB for hearings that begin on Jan. 3.

The Canada Border Services Agency declined to comment on Majid.

But the immigration enforcement agency has said it was investigating 141 such cases. Thirty-eight have been closed without action.

Ten individuals were deemed inadmissible to Canada for being senior regime officials. The CBSA said it intended to referred nine cases to the IRB for hearings.

The CBSA said two cases had been sent to the IRB so far, while a third was withdrawn because the individual left Canada of their own accord.

Paperwork on the remaining cases was still being prepared before they were to be sent to the IRB, the agency said.

Canada’s year-old ban on senior members of the Iranian regime applies to “a wide array of individuals in a regime that has perpetrated crimes against the people of Iran and other nations,” the government said when the policy was announced.

“It includes: heads of state, members of the Cabinet, ambassadors, senior diplomats, members of the judiciary, senior military and intelligence officials and senior public servants.”

Tehran has long tried to impose its influence on Canada’s large Iranian community, although it has no official diplomatic presence in Ottawa.

The Canadian government severed ties with Iran in 2012, and designated the Islamic Republic a state sponsor of terrorism.

That allowed victims of Iranian-backed terror groups like Hamas to seize Tehran’s assets in Canada, angering the regime.

The IRGC Quds Force, which trains, arms and finances Hamas and other terror groups, was added to Canada’s list of terrorist entities in 2012.

In 2018, the Canada Revenue Agency revoked the charity status of a Toronto-based group it accused of spreading “Iranian revolutionary ideology.”

Relations with Canada have plummeted since Iran shot down a passenger plane in 2020, killing 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.

More recently, Iran has been supplying drones to Russia which have been used for attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, praised the gunmen, writing on X, “We are proud of them.”

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Ten Islamic Republic Men Face Deportation From Canada

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Canadian officials have told Iran International that 10 individuals affiliated with the Islamic Republic have been found “inadmissible” and must leave the country.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson Maria Ladouceur stated that “To date 10 individuals have been reported inadmissible by the CBSA for being a senior official in the Iranian regime.”

She added that nine of these individuals have been referred for an admissibility hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, as one of them has already left the country. The CBSA also urged Iranians residing in Canada to provide any information they have about affiliates of the Islamic Republic to the agency.

Only one of the 10 has been identified so far as Salman Samani, 42, a former high-ranking Iranian interior ministry official living in Toronto. As reported by Global News, Canadian authorities have initiated proceedings against the former deputy interior minister, who is the subject of sanctions imposed a year ago against officials of the Iranian regime. Anna Pape, spokesperson for the Refugee Board, confirmed that Samani's case “was referred for an admissibility hearing on November 10, 2023.”

The Interior Ministry is in charge of Iran’s domestic security and police branches, which have been implicated in widespread human rights abuses. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi is a former IRGC general and has been sanctioned by Canada, the US and Europe. The US Treasury has determined that Vahidi was responsible for police “deployed to subdue protests in Iran, including the ongoing protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.”

CBSA is also investigating about 100 people with status in Canada for potential ties to Tehran. In a statement provided to CBC News, the agency said that as of November 20, 2023, the it had reviewed approximately 17,800 visa applications for potential inadmissibility to Canada under the IRPA designation of the Iranian regime. As a result, 78 individuals were denied access to Canada.

Concerns about Canada serving as a safe haven for high-ranking Iranian officials were exacerbated after the identification of a former Tehran police chief at a gym near Toronto in 2021.

Under pressure from the opposition Conservatives and the Iranian-Canadian community, the Liberal government, under the leadership of then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino, designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a "regime that has engaged in terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations" under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in November 2022.

The deportation is in line with sanctions implemented in November 2022, which prevent senior members of the Islamic Republic from entering Canada. The measures were imposed after Mahsa Amini died in custody of Iran's so-called morality police for defying hijab laws. Amini's death garnered international condemnation and became a symbol of resistance against the repression of women under Iran's clerical regime. The incident ignited the boldest uprising against the ruling power since its establishment in 1979. Security forces crushed the uprising by killing about 600, arresting over 22,000 and hanging some of protesters.

In response, Canada classified Iran's government as a regime involved in "terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations," leading to the effective exclusion of tens of thousands of Iranian officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members from entering the country.

Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012 due to concerns related to its pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terrorist organizations including Hamas. The government has also been under pressure for years to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Those calls intensified after the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in 2020 as it was taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people onboard, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.

Iranian national with alleged terrorism ties deported from U.S. to Canada

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The unnamed fugitive who has permanent residency in Canada was deported on Dec. 21 and described as a 'national security priority'

National Post Staff
Published Dec 29, 2023  •  Last updated Jan 01, 2024 

A fugitive with ties to terrorism has been deported from New York back to Canada, where he is wanted on assault charges.

The Iranian national, who is also a permanent resident of Canada, was deported on Dec. 21. The fugitive, who was not named in a https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ero-buffalo-uses-safe-third-country-agreement-remove-iranian-national-national", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}" data-evt="click" data-evt-typ="click">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release, is described as a “national security priority,” a designation often used for individuals who are believed to be involved in activities that could endanger national security.

Both the nature of the individual’s alleged terrorism ties and details related to his Canadian assault charges were not disclosed. It is also not clear how the man obtained permanent residency in Canada despite security concerns.

While the Canadian immigration process includes extensive background checks and assessments to identify security risks, there are instances where critical information is missed or undisclosed.

The man was denied entry into the U.S. on Oct. 10 via the Rainbow Pedestrian Walkway in Niagara Falls.

Two days later he was arrested “on or around” the Whirlpool Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls for illegally entering the U.S.

In November, he was served with an expedited removal order by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Buffalo. His removal to Canada was carried out under the Safe Third Country Agreement, and he was handed over to Canadian Border Services Agency authorities.

“The Canadian resident’s return to Canada to face charges is due to the dedicated officers on both sides of the border, working in tandem, to provide public safety for our communities,” said ERO Buffalo Field Office Director Thomas Brophy, in a statement.

The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. is part of the U.S. Canada Smart Border Action Plan and went into effect in December 2004.

Under the agreement, refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in unless they qualify for an exception. The https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/policies-operational-instructions-agreements/agreements/safe-third-country-agreement.html", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}" data-evt="click" data-evt-typ="click">agreement was created as a means to “better manage access to the refugee system in each country for people crossing the Canada – U.S. land border.”

The Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge is one of the busiest travel corridors between Canada and the U.S. It was closed for 24 hours last month following a https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/u-s-nerves-still-raw-after-deadly-rainbow-bridge-crash", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}" data-evt="click" data-evt-typ="click">fiery car crash on the U.S. side.

 

Dozens of Iranian regime officials denied entry to Canada, says border agency

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Brennan MacDonald · CBC News · 

The Canada Border Services Agency has denied entry to dozens of senior Iranian regime officials and is investigating about 100 people with status in Canada for potential ties to Tehran.

The agency also has referred the cases of nine individuals with status in Canada to the Immigration and Refugee Board to determine their admissibility to Canada.

The denials at the border and the investigations stem from a measure the Liberal government adopted last year in the midst of widespread protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman. Amini died while in the custody of Iran's "morality police."

The sighting of a former Tehran police chief at a Toronto-area gym in 2021 led many Iranian-Canadians to claim that Canada serves as a haven for high-ranking members of Iran's regime.

Under pressure from the opposition Conservatives and members of the Iranian-Canadian community to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist entity, the Liberal government instead opted to take action through immigration laws.

Numbers, but no names

In a statement provided to CBC News, the CBSA said that as of Nov. 20, 2023, the agency had reviewed approximately 17,800 visa applications for potential inadmissibility to Canada under the IRPA designation of the Iranian regime. As a result, 78 individuals were denied access to Canada.

The CBSA also said that, based on referrals from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and tips from the public, it opened investigations into 141 individuals with status in Canada.

The CBSA closed 38 of those 141 cases, either because the individuals were out of the country or the border agency had determined the individuals were allowed to be in Canada.

The CBSA deemed ten individuals inadmissible under the Iranian regime's IRPA designation. Nine of those people are presently in Canada and are now facing hearings before the Immigration Refugee Board of Canada, which will decide whether their status in Canada must be revoked.

The CBSA would not identify any of the individuals under investigation or those denied access to Canada, citing the Privacy Act.

Ottawa pressed to list IRGC as a terrorist entity

"I'm glad that some people have been deemed inadmissible because it had not been clear to me that the government had taken any steps," said Kaveh Shahrooz, a human rights activist, lawyer and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

"I think any member of the IRGC that willingly served — not conscripts, but willingly served — should be kicked out of the country. But ultimately, it doesn't take away from our goal of making the entirety of the IRGC a terrorist organization."

The government has faced pressure for years to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Those calls intensified after the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in 2020, killing all 176 people onboard, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.

In the wake of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre renewed his calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

Hamas, a listed terrorist entity in Canada, is a member of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" — a Tehran-backed alliance of militant groups in the Middle East which oppose both Israel and the United States.

Trudeau has resisted calls to list the IRGC and has pointed to his government's decision to designate Iran's Quds force a terrorist entity in 2017. The Quds force is a branch of the IRGC responsible for the paramilitary force's extraterritorial operations.

The government has argued in the past that listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity would be a blunt-force approach that could target low-level people who were forced to serve in the paramilitary force.

The Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S.-based independent think-tank, identifies the Quds force as Iran's main point of contact with axis members, providing them with "training, weaponry and funds to promote Iranian regional objectives."

 Leah West, an associate professor at Carleton University who teaches national security law, said listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization would be a largely symbolic gesture that might run counter to Canadian law.

"The Criminal Code basically has a carve-out for the definition of terrorist activity that excludes military units or parties to an armed conflict," West told CBC News.

"The terrorist entity listing is dependent on that terrorist activity definition. So, essentially, if the Quds force arguably shouldn't have been listed because of that definition, it makes it even harder to list an entire military for that reason — at least lawfully."

"My personal opinion is we shouldn't be sacrificing our commitment to our own domestic law in order to make what is really a political statement. It will have very little actual impact in terms of effect ... It's just not a useful tool," added West.

 

 
 

Senior Iranian official caught in Toronto

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By Stewart Bell & Jeff Semple  Global News
Posted December 6, 2023 6:00 am

Canada has launched a deportation case against a senior Iranian government official found living in Toronto, Global News has learned.

Seyed Salman Samani, 42, is facing a deportation hearing under sanctions imposed a year ago against members of Iran’s hardline regime.

The Canada Border Services Agency has asked the Immigration and Refugee Board to hold a hearing for Samani that could result in his removal.

“Samani was referred for an admissibility hearing on Nov. 10, 2023,” said Anna Pape, the Refugee Board spokesperson.

The Canadian government declined to say whether the case concerned the Seyed Salman Samani, 42, who is Iran’s deputy minister of interior.

Proceedings were scheduled to begin on Jan. 3, 2024.

He is being deported under sanctions introduced in November 2022 that banned senior members of the Iranian regime from Canada.

The Samani case is the first under the sanctions, brought in after Iran’s morality police killed Mahsa Amini for showing her hair in public.

Her death became a rallying cry against the repression of women under Iran’s clerical regime.

Canada responded by designating Iran’s government a regime engaged in “terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations.”

The policy effectively barred tens of thousands of Iranian officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members from entering Canada.

The Refugee Board said the Iranian national immigration enforcement officers referred for inadmissibility hearings was born on Jan. 16, 1981.

No further information has been released about him. The CBSA declined to comment on his case, citing privacy laws.

An Iranian official by that same name was appointed Iran’s Deputy Minister of Interior in 2016. Iranian websites reported he was born on Jan. 16, 1981.

The Interior Ministry is in charge of Iran’s domestic security and police agencies, which have implicated in widespread human rights abuses.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi is a former general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has been sanctioned by Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

The U.S. Treasury alleged Vahidi was responsible for police “deployed to subdue protests in Iran, including the ongoing protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.”

“In the past, Vahidi has warned Iranian women that the government’s security forces will penalize those ‘breaking rules’ in reference to hijab compliance.”

According to Samani’s profile on the interior ministry website, he is the department’s deputy minister and official spokesperson.

In 2019, he represented Iran at the United Nations, as part of a delegation that defended Tehran’s human rights record.

The delegation called Iran “one of the major victims of terrorism and at the same time one of its strongest opponents.”

Iran trains, finances and arms terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as armed militia groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, praised the Hamas killers who massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, writing on X, “We are proud of them.”

Kaveh Shahrooz, a Toronto lawyer and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said deep connections to Iran’s regime were required to become a deputy minister.

“It’s impossible to climb the ranks like that without being loyal to the system,” said Shahrooz, adding Canada was a safe haven for regime members.

“They see it as a as an easy country to get into, to bring their money and launder their money here. And frankly, I think it’s also because our officials are just not taking this issue as seriously as they should.”

He said he was maddened but not surprised a senior Iranian official was identified in Canada. “It tells me that there’s a broken system in place in Canada.”

Canada’s ban on senior members of the Iranian regime applies to “a wide array of individuals in a regime that has perpetrated crimes against the people of Iran and other nations,” the government said.

“It includes: heads of state, members of the Cabinet, ambassadors, senior diplomats, members of the judiciary, senior military and intelligence officials and senior public servants.”

The CBSA told Global News it was launching deportation proceedings against nine Iranian officials under the sanctions brought in a year ago.

One case was withdrawn because the person left Canada, the CBSA said, and two were at the stage of scheduling hearings.

Paperwork on the remaining cases was still being prepared before it is  sent the IRB, the immigration enforcement agency said.

Meanwhile, the Refugee Board, which holds hearings to decide whether to approve deportations, confirmed it was processing two such cases.

Both involved Iranian nationals being removed from Canada under the sanctions imposed a year ago. The IRB would not provide details on the second case.

“A second referral was just received, and the ID [Immigration Division] is in the process of determining what information can be shared,” Pape said.

Canada broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012 over its efforts to pursue nuclear weapons and support for terrorist groups such as Hamas.

The government has also designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, and the IRGC Quds Force is on Canada’s list of terrorist entities.

During the election campaign that brought him to power in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to restore diplomatic ties with Iran.

But in 2020, the IRGC shot down a passenger plane departing Tehran airport, killing 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

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US and Qatar Will Hold Off Giving Iran $6 Billion in Funds

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  • Money was to be distributed under prisoner exchange agreement
  • Iran says there’s been no change in its access to funds
By 
Updated on 

The US reached an informal understanding with Qatar to hold off distributing $6 billion in oil revenue that Iran was allowed to access under a prisoner exchange, as the Biden administration probes Tehran’s potential involvement in last week’s Hamas attack against Israel.

A person familiar with the matter said the Treasury Department has a tacit agreement with Qatar, which was charged with distributing the money, not to approve applications for funds, which Iranian organizations were meant to be able to spend on medicine and humanitarian goods. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo briefed congressional Democrats on the move earlier Thursday, the person said.

 

The person asked not to be identified discussing private information. The $6 billion in proceeds from oil sales were transfered from South Korea to Qatar as part of an agreement reached in September to exchange US citizens held in Iranian prisons for several Iranians in US jails.

Treasury didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said none of the money has been spent so far. The news was reported earlier by Punchbowl News.

Biden Weighs Reversal on $6 Billion for Iran After Hamas Attack

“The funds from that account are overseen by the Treasury Department and can only be dispensed for humanitarian goods — food, medicine, medical equipment — and never touch Iranian hands,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv. “We have strict oversight of the funds and we retain the right to freeze them.”

Iran said it still had access to the money.

“There has been no change in the issue of Iran’s access to its FX funds in Qatari banks,” Iran’s state-run Nour News reported.

A US official said Wednesday that intelligence agencies still have no evidence to show Iran directed the attack that killed at least 1,200 Israelis. But the agencies believe Iran knew Hamas was plotting some action against Israel, according to the official, who discussed the sensitive intelligence on condition of anonymity.

The money has emerged as a campaign issue for Democratic incumbents running in swing states or states that voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Four candidates — including the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee — have said they support keeping the assets frozen until Iran’s role in the attacks on Israel can be determined.

 

“Congress’s priority right now must be providing robust military, economic, and humanitarian aid to support Israel as they defend themselves against Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack,” Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio said in a statement. “As we work to hold anyone who supports terrorism accountable, the administration must freeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets.”

 

— With assistance by Chris Strohm, Viktoria Dendrinou, and Iain Marlow

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-12/israel-latest-gaza-ground-offensive-looms-more-than-2-400-dead

Israel-Hamas war: What is Iran's role?

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Youhanna Najdi | Benjamin Restle

Tehran has backed Islamist groups opposing Israel for years. While it says Palestinians "have the right to resist," it has denied any direct involvement in the recent Hamas attacks.

Following Saturday's terror attacks on Israel by Islamist militant group Hamas from the Gaza Strip, several Israeli officials have said they suspect the involvement of Iran, which is a known supporter of Israel-opposed militant groups in the Middle East.

In an interview with CBS News in the United States , Israel's ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, said Israel's leadership suspected "Iranian hands behind the scenes."

"Hamas and Iran are closely tied. Iran provides material support, funding [and] weapons to Hamas," he said.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Hamas leaders several weeks ago. "We know that there were meetings in Syria, in Lebanon," Erdan said.

"It's easy to understand that they tried to coordinate the military, the terror armies, the terrorists, the proxies of Iran in our region. They try to be coordinated as much as possible with Iran because, for the long term, the goal is to try and destroy Israel with the nuclear umbrella that Iran will provide them with."

On Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this suspicion, telling legislators Iran had allowed Hamas to grow strong enough to the launch the latest attacks. While Scholz said there was "no firm proof that Iran operationally supported this cowardly attack, it is clear to us all that without Iranian support, Hamas would never have been able to launch this unprecedented attack."

Scholz also warned Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah against attacking Israel, saying this would further escalate the conflict.

 

What did Iran say?

Tehran has denied being involved in last weekend's attacks, which it has referred to as an act of "self-defense" by Palestinians. The Israeli government on Sunday declared it was at war with Hamas. Israel's death toll rose to an estimated 1,300 as of Thursday morning and dozens of hostages have been abducted. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,200, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

"Iran supports the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation," Raisi said in a statement broadcast on Iranian state television while praising "resistance" efforts by Hamas.

Iran backs a broad network of militias and armed groups in the Middle East, including Palestinian groups, as Tehran continually seeks to consolidate its influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.

Iranian authorities consistently emphasize the term "axis of resistance" in their speeches and stances on Israel. This phrase denotes explicitly militant groups that have dedicated themselves to opposing Israel's right to exist and primarily includes Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Both Hamas and Hezbollah's military wing are considered terrorist groups by several countries, including the US and the European Union.

Iranian officials hold regular meetings with these groups. In August, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beirut with the heads of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other anti-Israel groups active in Lebanon. During this meeting, the foreign minister reaffirmed Iran's unwavering support for the "axis of resistance."

Both Hamas and Hezbollah officials have consistently acknowledged the substantial support they receive from Iran. For instance, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior member of the Hamas leadership, said in December 2020 that he had received approximately $22 million (€21.6 million) in cash during a meeting with Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, in 2006.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has repeatedly affirmed that the group receives financial support, weaponry, and missiles from Iran. For instance, during the summer of 2016, he said, "As long as Iran has money, we have money. No law can prevent receiving this aid."

A 2021 report from the Wilson Center, a US-based think tank, says that since at least 2006, Iran has been "focused on supplying its regional allies and proxies, including Palestinian factions, with the knowhow and equipment to produce rockets locally."

The report cites an interview with the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as saying, "Instead of giving them a fish or teaching them to catch a fish, we taught our allies and friends how to make a hook, and they are now in possession of missile capabilities and technologies."

Iran opposes Israel's budding ties with Arab countries

The Hamas attack also comes amid negotiations over diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which Iran opposes.

In a recent interview, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, mentioned that his country is "gradually progressing towards normalizing relations with Israel."

The Abraham Accords, signed in August 2020 by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, led to the normalization of relations between some Arab countries and Israel. However, Iran strongly opposes this approach taken by Arab nations.

On October 3, just four days before Hamas launched its attack on Israel, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, characterized the establishment of relations with Israel as a "completely futile endeavor."

On Wednesday, Iranian President Raisi and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the ongoing situation, with the Saudi leader affirming "the kingdom's firm position towards supporting the Palestinian cause."

And more recently, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad urged Islamic countries to unite over the Palestinian cause. Raisi reportedly told an Iranian news agency, "Islamic and Arab countries as well all free people of the world" must together side against Israel and back the "oppressed Palestinian people."

Iran avoids direct involvement

A report published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed officials from Hamas as saying Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps helped plan Saturday's multi-pronged surprise attack on Israel.

However, on Monday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, "Iran is a major player, but we can't yet say if it was involved in the planning or training."

Iran has denied it played a role in the attacks. 

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that US intelligence indicates key Iranian leaders were in fact surprised by the recent Hamas assault.

Raz Zimmt, an expert on Iran at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University, responded to the claims made in the The Wall Street Journal article on X, formerly Twitter.

"While there is no doubt about the military cooperation between Iran and Hamas and Iran's increasing involvement in the Palestinian arena, including the West Bank, in recent years, I highly doubt whether Iran was significantly involved in Hamas's latest action," he wrote.

However, he added that if the "Israeli response poses a significant challenge to Hamas," it would "oblige Iran to move from the phase of ongoing support and coordination to a more direct involvement." 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already said Israel is "at war" with Hamas and vowed severe retaliation for the attacks. On Monday, Netanyahu said Israel's response to the Hamas attacks would "change the Middle East."

UN ambassador Erdan called the attacks "Israel's 9/11," after which "nothing will be the same."

Damon Golriz, a lecturer and researcher at the Hague University in the Netherlands, told DW that by maintaining a well-crafted doctrine of plausible deniability, Tehran has effectively avoided direct involvement in these conflicts. He added that finding a smoking gun implicating Iran is a political decision that would have devastating consequences.

"It will be a declaration of war between Israel and Iran," he said.

https://www.dw.com/en/israel-hamas-war-what-is-irans-role/a-67043337