Latest news with #KavehShahrooz
National Post
30-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Iran's ‘mafia' regime won't be giving up that easily: Full Comment podcast
Article content Make no mistake: the blows that Israel and America delivered to the Islamic tyrants in Tehran were in many ways crippling. As Kaveh Shahrooz, an Iranian-born Mideast analyst and human rights activist, tells Brian this week, the devastating targeted assassinations of nuclear scientists and military leaders indicate Israel has infiltrated the regime at its highest level. Its nuclear program is shattered, although we wait to learn by how much. And Israel has amputated Iran's terror network by crushing Hamas and Hezbollah and helping end Syria's Assad dictatorship. But, as Shahrooz explains, the ayatollahs face a disorganized opposition and will use all means necessary to keep their mafia-like hold on Iran. Expect more weapons, brutality and mayhem. (Recorded June 27, 2025) Article content Article content Article content
CBC
27-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Iranian officials are banned from Canada — but this former regime member landed in April
Mahdi Nasiri let the world know he was on his way to Canada in April. The former high-profile Iranian official posted a series of farewell photos — including a goodbye hug — on Instagram for his more than 250,000 followers and anyone else to see. He has been in Canada ever since. But now, according to a source, his name has been reported to the RCMP. And Canadian security authorities are facing calls from the public to investigate why he was allowed to enter in the first place — and if he should be kicked out. "To see that he can easily come to Canada and in fact celebrate it, and post pictures from the airport saying 'I've arrived,' it sets off alarm bells among a lot of Iranians," said lawyer and human rights activist Kaveh Shahrooz. Nasiri has been described as an important hardliner in Iran during the 2000s. He didn't deny his past roles to CBC News, but also said he's been critical of Iran's regime for the past six years and now supports the country's liberal opposition leader. The Trudeau government promised in 2022 to crack down on current and former senior Iranian regime officials living in Canada after mounting public pressure and safety concerns. Iranian Canadians had reported harassment, intimidation and surveillance they believed was tied to Tehran. Canada's spy agency verified death threats from Iran were real. And an explosive U.S. indictment revealed an Iranian plot to kidnap Canadians. WATCH | Fighting to keep the Iranian regime out: 'They're terrorists': Fighting to keep the Iran regime out of Canada 2 years ago Duration 8:00 Canadians of Iranian descent are worried members and affiliates of the Islamic Republic of Iran may continue to come to Canada as pressure mounts on the regime. They say Canadian officials aren't acting fast enough to stop it, and some are taking matters into their own hands. In response, the government designated the leadership of Iran's government, security and intelligence agencies as inadmissible to Canada in 2022 for allegedly engaging in terrorism and systemic and gross human rights violations. That designation expanded last year to ban anyone from Canada who served as a senior official with Iran's government anytime since June 2003. But Nasiri is the latest case raising questions about how effective Canada's crackdown is. So far, only one senior Iranian official has been removed from the country. Nasiri's role in the 2000s Nasiri is well known for his role as managing director of the most conservative Iranian newspaper, Kayhan, in the 1990s — funded by Iran's supreme leader. "He was very prominent in state-owned media, which is often the platform that the regime itself used to go after dissidents, to create charges against people that are outspoken," said Shahrooz, who is critical of the regime. Nasiri was then appointed to a key role as political deputy of the policymaking council of Friday imams across the country from 2001 to 2005. "The Friday prayers are the main platform that Iran delivers its talking points and propaganda to supporters, and is a job entrusted to people closely tied to the regime," Shahrooz said. "The fact that he had that role indicates to me that he was part and parcel of this regime." Nasiri went on to be appointed a senior representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's office in the United Arab Emirates until 2009, according to Iranian media reports. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says, broadly, senior Iranian officials who served from 2003 onward are inadmissible to Canada. But it won't say if it's looking into Nasiri's case. Nasiri defended himself when contacted by CBC News for comment. "I have repeatedly explained my professional background in media interviews and have openly criticized that period," Nasiri said in a written statement. "There is nothing hidden in my past." "Moreover, I have never held any military, security or intelligence position. My role at Kayhan newspaper was journalistic and my position within the organization of Friday imams was religious and devotional." Nasiri wouldn't confirm if his last job with Iran's government was in the UAE when asked by CBC News. Visitor visa issued in 2023 Nasiri said it only took him a few days in 2023 — before the ban was expanded — to get a visitor's visa attached to his passport from the Canadian consulate in Istanbul. His son is a Canadian citizen who invited him and his mother to visit, he said. A visitor visa can be valid for up to 10 years. When asked if he disclosed his time with Iran's government to Canadian officials, Nasiri said he didn't have to. "I was asked only about my activities over the past 10 years, during which I have held no government positions," Nasiri said. CBC News asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada why it allegedly didn't ask Nasiri about his earlier work experience. The department said it can't comment on specific cases, but said visa applicants are "carefully assessed." "Senior officials subject to the regime designation could have their visa cancelled, lose their temporary or permanent residence status and be removed from Canada," said IRCC spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald. Kelly Sundberg, a criminology professor at Mount Royal University who specializes in border security, says it's not surprising Nasiri wasn't asked more questions. He says Canada's immigration screening and enforcement is "at a point of crisis." Speaking broadly about the system, Sundberg said "the CBSA and federal departments have been well aware of this neglect and have often intentionally turned a blind eye." Nasiri said he'd "prefer not to answer" if he's facing an immigration hearing, but confirmed he's not aware of any CBSA investigation into his visa. Calls to investigate Nasiri told CBC News he understands Iranian Canadians are concerned about current and former regime officials in Canada. He said "they are justified in their concerns" and called the Islamic Republic of Iran "a dictatorial and repressive regime." "However, I have been an active critic and, indeed, an opponent of the Islamic Republic for the past six years," Nasiri said in his statement to CBC News. He said he has a "liberal stance" now and supports Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi, a proponent of liberal democracy and member of the dynasty that ruled the country before the 1979 revolution. Nasiri has an active YouTube page where he frequently posts his interviews critical of the regime, including on the BBC. WATCH | H ow Iran threatens people in Canada: Exposing how Iran tracks and threatens people in Canada 3 years ago Duration 7:44 CSIS recently confirmed there are multiple 'credible' death threats from Iran aimed at people in Canada. CBC News's chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault meets with several Iranians who describe their experiences of being monitored and intimidated on Canadian soil. Iranian analyst and journalist Babak Taghvaee says he wants Canadian security officials to look into Nasiri's case because of what he calls "red flags." Taghvaee published an article with American think-tank the Middle East Forum about how Iran's regime officials allegedly rebrand themselves as opponents of the regime to stay in Canada — and named Nasiri as an example. He said Nasiri was once one of the "most important hardliners" in Iran. Taghvaee says his role as an editor at Kayhan suggests he could have had the highest levels of clearance from Iranian intelligence and was co-operating or even collaborating with them. He also said his role with Friday prayer imams was important because they are known to receive directives from the regime. "They receive orders to speak about the specific topics during Friday prayers," he said. "About politics, about military security and economies and anything related to what the regime wants for the purpose of psychological warfare and propaganda." Taghvaee says former Iranian regime members who are trying to settle in Western countries commonly criticize the regime and side with opposition parties to create evidence for a future refugee or asylum case. "Sometimes these individuals are afraid to get deported or arrested. They go into survival mode," said Taghvaee, who has been critical of the regime. Nasiri says he has not applied for refugee status and hopes to return to Iran soon, but didn't say when. Regardless of his stance publicly, Vancouver lawyer Mojdeh Shahriari points out that existing Canadian law should prevent senior Iranian officials like Nasiri from ever entering the country. "Whether or not he has genuinely changed is not for me to judge, and doesn't really concern the law," said Shahriari. 'It's almost laughable' CBSA says since 2022, more than 130 suspected Iranian regime officials' visas were cancelled, 20 people were reported inadmissible and three cases have made it through immigration hearings resulting in deportation letters. "It's almost laughable, unfortunately," said Shahriari. Shahriari is a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and now runs a grassroots group she says is investigating more than 375 suspected Iranian regime members, their families and businesses on Canadian soil. She says the CBSA numbers are "miniscule" compared to the evidence Shahriari passed on to Canadian authorities about nearly 100 suspected Iranian officials already in Canada. She won't say if Nasiri is one of them, citing confidentiality.
CTV News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Iranians in Canada watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, gets into his car after attending a protest following the U.S. attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Vahid Salemi MONTREAL — Iranian-Canadians say they fear an escalation of violence in the Middle East after the United States carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites. Nimâ Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women's association, says family members in Iran are living 'from one bomb to another.' The epidemiologist and former NDP candidate worries the strikes will only lead to more violence and hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran's repressive regime. Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision to join Israel's war on Iran could have on citizens. But he says some opponents of the regime are celebrating the U.S. strike, happy to see Iran's nuclear program 'effectively dismantled.' The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs called eliminating Iran's nuclear program an 'essential step' toward a safer Middle East, and urged the Canadian government to stand strong against Iran. The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Iranians in Canada watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
MONTREAL – Iranian-Canadians say they fear an escalation of violence in the Middle East after the United States carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites. Nimâ Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women's association, says family members in Iran are living 'from one bomb to another.' The epidemiologist and former NDP candidate worries the strikes will only lead to more violence and hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran's repressive regime. Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision to join Israel's war on Iran could have on citizens. But he says some opponents of the regime are celebrating the U.S. strike, happy to see Iran's nuclear program 'effectively dismantled.' The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs called eliminating Iran's nuclear program an 'essential step' toward a safer Middle East, and urged the Canadian government to stand strong against Iran. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.
Global News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
20th alleged Iran official caught in Canada as campaigns explain how they would deal with Tehran
Twenty alleged senior members of the Iranian regime have now been found living in Canada, immigration officials confirmed amid an election debate on how best to deal with the Islamic republic. The most recent is an Iranian citizen scheduled to go before the Immigration and Refugee Board in June after the Canada Border Services Agency accused him of having served as a top official in Tehran. The refugee board released his name to Global News on Wednesday but later requested that it not be published because his deportation hearing was being held behind closed doors. Reached by Global News, a Vancouver-area man by the name declined to comment. According to Iranian media, he was an official in Iran's oil ministry. The CBSA declined to comment. He is the latest Iranian citizen flagged for deportation since the Canadian government launched a crackdown in 2022 against alleged high-level regime members residing in the country. Story continues below advertisement Those identified by immigration enforcement authorities are being sent to the refugee board, which has been holding hearings to decide whether they should be deported. But the cases have been held largely in secrecy and have moved slowly, with only one successful removal so far, although a few of the Iranian officials have left voluntarily. 'To know that there are people affiliated with the highest echelons of Iran's regime walking around our streets certainly poses a danger to this country,' said Kaveh Shahrooz, a Toronto lawyer and human rights activist. 'It also poses a danger to the diaspora, many of whom have escaped Iran to live here in safety. And to see the people affiliated with the regime that they escaped from are able to come here and live freely, they certainly feel intimidated by this.' Where do the parties stand on Iran? View image in full screen Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, left to right, Liberal Leader Mark Carney, New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet at English-language leaders' debate in Montreal, April 17, 2025. SKP More than a decade after Canada severed diplomatic ties with the regime, Iran looks likely to remain a key national security and foreign policy challenge for the next government. Story continues below advertisement Long a source of instability in the Middle East, Iran trains, arms and finances Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias and Yemen's Houthis, and sells attack drones to Russia for the war on Ukraine. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In Canada, operatives have helped Iran launder money and evade sanctions, and the foreign interference inquiry revealed how the theocracy targets the diaspora in an attempt to stifle dissent. Last October, the RCMP warned former Liberal MP and justice minister Irwin Cotler, an outspoken critic of Tehran, that he was the target of an Iran-linked assassination plot. Iran arose during the federal leaders' debates, with the Conservatives highlighting its responsibility for the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and Liberals agreeing it was a 'fundamental risk.' But during the final days of an election dominated by the question of how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, Global News asked the major political parties how they intended to approach Iran. See the full party responses here. The Conservatives responded by promising to 'stand with the long-suffering people of Iran' and criticizing the Liberals for being slow to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. In a statement, the party said a Pierre Poilievre government would enforce sanctions against Tehran and increase Canadian oil exports to partners and allies in order to reduce international reliance on Iranian oil. Story continues below advertisement 'Conservatives will focus on preventing members of the regime from entering Canada and strengthen efforts to counter money laundering by the regime through Canada's financial system,' it said. The Liberals said the previous government had outlawed the Houthis, Revolutionary Guard and Samadoun, and would work with national security agencies to target other terror groups and their supporters. 'The Iranian regime poses a threat to international peace and security, both through its armed forces and through support of its allies and proxies. A new Liberal government led by Mark Carney will work with the international community to deter its destabilizing influence in the region,' a party spokesperson said. Carney would also 'stand firm' in upholding human rights sanctions against Iran, the spokesperson said. 'We will use every tool in our toolbox to crack down on this brutal regime and the individuals responsible for its egregious behaviour.' Meanwhile, the Liberals would hold work to hold Iran accountable for downing a commercial airliner in 2020, killing 176 people, among them 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Families of the victims will continue to have a pathway to permanent residence, and Canada will keep pressing Iran to provide financial reparations, according to the Liberal spokesperson. The NDP did not respond. None of the parties expected to restore diplomatic relations View image in full screen Mehrzad Zarei, father of passenger killed when Iran shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, at demonstration in Ottawa, Aug. 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Regardless of who wins the election, Prof. Thomas Juneau does not foresee a thaw in relations with Iran and believes Carney and Poilievre would likely follow a similar path. Story continues below advertisement 'I don't expect that there would be major differences between the substance of the Iran policy of a Liberal or a Conservative government,' said Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. 'The Conservatives have pledged to take a tougher line, but in practice there would be little they could do beyond harsher rhetoric.' Shahrooz said Iranian Canadians want a government committed to closer interaction with the community and speedier action to remove regime members. 'I'd like greater government action in terms of freezing the assets and identifying the assets that have been stolen from Iran and brought to Canada and parked here,' Shahrooz said. 'And finally, what I'd like to see is greater due diligence happening before someone obtains a visa to come to this country. What I think we need, rather than just a simple policy change, is just a different philosophical approach,' he said. 'We need to be more welcoming of people that have ties to Canada, or people that are human rights defenders that need to come to this country for safety. And we need to shut our doors to those that have ties to the regime.'
