Canada hits Iranian entities with new sanctions
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- Canada imposes new sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities linked to destabilizing activities.
- Ottawa commits $361 billion over ten years to expand military capabilities.
Canada announced new sanctions Thursday targeting Iranian businessmen and companies linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Canadian Foreign Ministry said five individuals and four entities are accused of supporting “non-state militias and terrorist groups allied with Tehran” and supplying “weapons” and “technologies” that destabilize the Middle East.
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The statement added that Canada will also sanction anyone contributing to Iran’s destabilizing activities, bringing the total to 227 individuals and 260 Iranian entities under restrictions.
Separately, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted that the country has met NATO’s target of spending 2% of GDP on defense ahead of schedule. Speaking at a military base in Halifax, he said, “This is our highest defense spending relative to the size of our economy since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
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Carney added that Canada will invest $500 billion Canadian dollars ($361 billion US) over the next ten years to enhance its military capabilities, including submarines, drones, sensors, and radar systems.
The move signals a significant shift for Canada, traditionally focused on peacekeeping, toward strengthening its defense posture amid global instability.
