Canada sanctions Iranian paramilitary

International pressure over nukes mounts

Canada is dropping the gloves with Iran and going after the Islamic republic’s most feared and powerful paramilitary force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Tuesday that the government is slapping sanctions against a range of Iranian entities including economic sectors that indirectly support or provide funds to Iran’s nuclear program.

This includes Iran’s oil and gas, mining and metals, and shipping sectors.

But the most significant change was the decision to target the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, a move long called for by Jewish groups in Canada.

Baird, who is in North Africa this week, said the move is a direct response to Iran’s continued refusal to open its nuclear program to international scrutiny.

Exactly what impact the new sanctions will have is unclear, but the government is hoping they will further isolate Iran from the global financial system.

“Canada’s clear stand against the Iranian threat further strengthens international pressure against the Iranian regime,” Baird said from Morocco.

“The Iranian regime must address with urgent and concrete action the international community’s grave concerns over its nuclear activities.”

By targeting the Guard as a whole, the Harper government is hoping to target what has become one of the Iranian government’s most important instruments.

The Guard is one of 98 entities being targeted by the new sanctions, bringing the number of Iranian entities sanctioned by Canada to 433. Fifty individuals have also been sanctioned.

Formed shortly after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Guard is an elite force that has become increasingly powerful in all facets of Iranian society and policy.

This includes repressing critics inside the country and supporting terrorism in the region and around the world in an attempt to boost Iranian power and influence.

The Guard has reportedly supplied weapons to the Syrian government for its war against rebel forces and has been accused by the U.S. of providing weapons and information to forces in other conflicts.

Canada has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Iranian officials and entities over the years, including senior leaders of the Guard.

But this is the first time the Guard as an organization is being targeted by Canada, though the move stops short of labelling the force a terrorist group, as it is in the United States.

“These amendments align Canadian sanctions with measures adopted by our allies and partners,” Baird said.

The news anctions come only less than a week after a senior Guard commander claimed western sanctions were actually making Iran stronger because they forced the country to be self-sufficient.

Baird dismissed the comments.

“There’s no doubt the sanctions have had a significant effect on Iran. As yet we have not been successful at having the senior leadership change course, but we can only strengthen ourselves with resolve to work together.”