Canada Sanctions Five Iranian Officials Over Strait of Hormuz Navigation Interference

Canada has announced sanctions against five senior Iranian officials in response to their involvement in activities that threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement issued by Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Friday.

Anand stated that unimpeded passage through the strait is essential to global trade and energy security. She emphasized that the sanctions target individuals whose actions erode those principles and endanger global economic and energy security.

The minister also called on Iran to de-escalate tensions and uphold international navigation rights.

Sanctioned Individuals Named

The Canadian Department of Global Affairs identified the five sanctioned individuals as follows:

• Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Central “Khatam al-Anbiya” Headquarters and a senior official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps;
• Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Central “Khatam al-Anbiya” Headquarters;
• Ebrahim Azizi, member of the Iranian Parliament and head of its National Security and Foreign Policy Committee;
• Shahram Irani, commander of the Iranian Army’s Naval Forces;
• Hamid Hosseini, chairman of the board and spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exporters Union.

The sanctions were imposed due to the individuals’ roles in activities that threatened an internationally critical waterway, the department said in its official press release.

Iranian Response

An Iranian official asserted that the Strait of Hormuz remains under Tehran’s authority and ruled out negotiations with the United States.