Canada sanctions seven more individuals over Iran-linked transnational repression

OTTAWA, February 13, 2026 — Canada on Friday announced new sanctions against seven individuals under its Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, expanding pressure on Tehran over alleged transnational repression, violence and intimidation directed at Iranian dissidents and human rights defenders. Foreign Minister Anita Anand said the measures are intended to address Iran’s use of repression both beyond its borders and against its own population.

The Canadian government said those listed are linked to Iranian state bodies responsible for intimidation, violence and repressive activity, including operations that allegedly relied on proxy agents and criminal networks to harass, surveil and plan violence in Europe and North America. Ottawa said such conduct threatens other states’ sovereignty and undermines international law, peace and security.

The newly sanctioned individuals are Naji Ibrahim Sharifi Zindashti, identified as head of the Zindashti network; Reza Hamidiravari, described as an intelligence officer in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security; Mohammed Reza Ansari, a senior official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force Unit QF-840; Ali Esfanjani; Muhammed Abd Al-Razek Kanafani; Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan; and Mohammed Reza Naserzadeh, whom Canada said was a facilitator and former staff member at the civil registry department of the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Canada said the sanctions impose a dealings ban that effectively freezes any assets the listed persons may hold in Canada and bars Canadians at home or abroad from making property available to them. Listed individuals also become inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

With the latest move, Canada said it has sanctioned 222 Iranian individuals and 256 Iranian entities under the Iran regulations. The government said regulatory changes made in October 2022 broadened the sanctions framework to cover gross and systematic human rights violations, while amendments adopted in March 2025 enabled listings tied to destabilizing activities in the Middle East and globally.