ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Canada imposed a new round of sanctions on senior Iranian officials and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for obstructing maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz, Ottawa’s foreign ministry said on Friday, as Iran continues to claim control over the strategic waterway amid hostilities with the US.
A statement from the Canadian foreign ministry cited Minister Anita Anand as saying that the sanctions were imposed against the officials “for their activities that have threatened the critical international waterway, and obstructed navigation rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz, contrary to international law.”
“The measures align with allies’ and partners’ efforts to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities and malign influence in the Middle East and elsewhere,” the statement added, characterizing the announcement as a clear message of Canada’s continued condemnation of Iran’s “destabilizing activities” in the strait that “undermine international peace and security.”
Iran has largely closed the waterway to international shipping since its war with the US and Israel began on February 28.
The IRGC struck three commercial vessels belonging to a UAE state-owned company on Friday and early Saturday.
Meanwhile, the US imposed a blockade on Iran’s southern ports from April 13 to June 18, when both sides agreed to a preliminary framework for peace, only to reinstate it a week later. US Central Command said late Friday that the blockade has redirected 62 Iranian ships, in addition to disabling three and boarding another two “to ensure compliance.”
Tehran has set a series of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including a complete end to the conflict, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and a region-wide ceasefire encompassing Lebanon and Gaza.
“Freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is essential to global trade and energy security. Today’s sanctions target individuals whose actions undermine these principles and threaten global economic and energy security. Canada calls on Iran to de-escalate and respect international navigation rights,” the Canadian foreign ministry quoted Anand as saying.
The Canadian sanctions were issued under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), under which Canada has so far sanctioned 232 Iranian individuals and 260 Iranian entities.
