meta_id 3406388

On August 14, 2026, Global Affairs Canada announced sanctions against five Iranian individuals whose activities contribute to Iran's efforts to obstruct navigation rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The sanctions were imposed pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act and the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act. The newly sanctioned individuals are: Ali Abdollahi, Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official; Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, Spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; Ebrahim Azizi, parliamentarian and head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee; Shahram Irani, Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran's "Artesh" Navy; and Hamid Hosseini, Chair of the Board of Directors and Spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters Union. These additions to Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations bring Canada's total sanctions to 232 individuals and 260 entities across Iran's security, intelligence and economic apparatus, with the majority imposed since 2022. The sanctions follow Iran's announcement in February 2026 to close the Strait of Hormuz and threaten strikes against vessels transiting the waterway. As of August 2026, more than 1,500 vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, with approximately 6,000 seafarers trapped on board. Iran has created a new state regulatory authority to authorize passage and suggested fees may apply to transiting vessels. The measures impose a dealings prohibition, freezing any assets sanctioned persons hold in Canada and prohibiting Canadian persons and entities from making property available to them. Listed individuals are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.