Canada has joined the United States and the United Kingdom in imposing new sanctions on Iran following its unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel earlier this month. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced on Thursday that the sanctions target Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, and its commander, Gholam Ali Rashid.
“Today’s measures send a clear message: Canada and its allies are prepared and will not hesitate to act against the Iranian regime as it seeks to destabilize regional peace and security,” Joly stated.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters serves as the main command center of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Concurrently, the US and UK announced sanctions targeting Iran’s drone industry. The UK also plans to introduce new bans on the export of drone and missile components to Iran, aiming to curtail its military capabilities.
These sanctions respond to Iran’s attack on Israel and, according to the US Treasury, aim to impede Tehran’s drone supplies to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
The coordinated sanctions by the United States and United Kingdom follow Iran’s launch of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on April 13, marking its first direct assault on the country. This attack was in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of elite military officers.
Most missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted by Israeli and US-led coalition forces, as well as Israel’s air defense systems. Following these events, a suspected Israeli drone strike targeted an Iranian airfield on April 19, although Iran has minimized the incident and stated there would be no further retaliation.
Neither the Israeli nor American militaries have officially confirmed involvement in the April 1 or April 19 strikes.
