Canada Designates Top 50% of IRGC Leadership, Denies Them Access to Country - Trudeau

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - Canada is designating the top 50% of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership and will permanently prohibit them from entering the country in response to their repressive measures against the ongoing protests in Iran, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

"We will be pursuing a listing of the Iranian regime, including the IRGC leadership, under the most powerful provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act," Trudeau said during a press conference. "This will make the top 50% of the IRGC leadership, the over 10,000 officers and senior members most responsible for this heinous state behavior inadmissible to Canada, denying them access to Canadian territory, and opportunities."

Trudeau pointed out that the designations of the Iranian officials are permanent.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said during the press conference that anyone placed on the blacklist will be prohibited from doing business or hiding assets in Canada.

In addition, Trudeau said Ottawa is investing $76 million to strengthen Canada's sanctions enforcement efforts. Canada is also enhancing oversight on transactions linked to Iran, and it will also restrict transactions associated with the IRGC and its proxies.

Canadian government officials will work in the coming weeks to ensure these measures against the IRGC members are as strong as possible and more details will be available next week, Freeland said.