Canada lists Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a ‘terrorist’ group | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps News

Ottawa cites the IRGC’s ties to Hamas and Hezbollah, accusing Iran of “total disregard for human rights.”

Canada has listed the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist” entity and urged its citizens in Iran to leave the country.

The Canadian government made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the move will help Ottawa “combat the financing of terrorism.”

“The decision to list the IRGC through the Criminal Code listing regime sends a strong message that Canada will use all tools at its disposal to combat IRGC terrorist activity, conducted both unilaterally and in conscious association with listed terrorist entities, such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” the Canadian government said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran.

For years, opposition Conservatives in Canada have urged Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to blacklist the IRGC.

On Wednesday, Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister, cited Iran’s human rights record as one of the reasons behind the decision.

“The Iranian regime has consistently demonstrated a total disregard for human rights, both inside and outside Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the rules-based international order,” LeBlanc said in a statement.

“The IRGC’s listing builds on the Government of Canada’s broader efforts to ensure there is no impunity for Iran’s illegal actions and support for terrorism.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly urged Canadians not to travel to Iran, citing an increased risk of “arbitrary detention.”

“For those in Iran right now, it is time to return home. For those who plan to go to Iran, don’t go,” she said at a press conference.

The listing requires Canadian financial institutions to freeze any IRGC assets and prohibits Canadian citizens from engaging in financial transactions with the group.

The United States designated the IRGC a “terrorist” group in 2019.

The IRGC, an elite force that operates with some autonomy and reports directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is an official branch of the Iranian military.

Relations between Iran and Canada have been difficult for decades. Ottawa cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2012, citing its nuclear program and support for the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.

The relationship soured further in 2020, after Iran shot down a plane with dozens of Canadian citizens and permanent residents on board.

The Ukraine International Airlines flight was destined for Kiev when it was hit by two missiles shortly after takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020.

The missile attack occurred at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the US. Hours earlier, the IRGC had targeted US forces in Iraq following the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad.

Iranian officials said the crash of the Boeing 737 was an accident caused by human error in the operation of an air defense system.

Last year, an Iranian court handed down initial sentences to 10 unidentified people accused of playing a role in the incident. They included the defense system operator.

Iran also set compensation at $150,000 for each of the victims’ families and said last year that it had begun payments.

But in a case before the International Court of Justice, Canada accused Iran of failing to “conduct an impartial, transparent and fair criminal investigation and criminal prosecution consistent with international law.”

The IRGC’s listing comes as the Canadian government faces questions about its own commitment to human rights in relation to its close ties with Israel, which has been accused of rampant abuses in Gaza.