Canada has been infiltrated by Iranian spies who intimidate critics

A Leger poll in June showed 43% of Canadians oppose accepting more Iranian migrants, suggesting a desire for increased scrutiny of admissions.

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   July 18, 2025   |   News Analysis   |   2 Comments

 

Canada's 400,000-strong Iranian diaspora, many of whom fled Iran's human rights abuses, censorship, and religious edicts, faces anxiety as Middle East tensions escalate. They feel as though they never truly escaped.

Since Canada cut diplomatic ties in 2012, no Iranian official has been based here, according to the National Post. However, there are reports of intimidation, kidnapping, and assassination plots—some linked to Hell’s Angels—against Canadians who criticize the regime.

Additionally, senior Iranian government figures frequently enter Canada, raising suspicions of widespread money laundering by the regime and its proxies.

For years, Iranian-Canadians have reported first-hand experiences with a range of intimidation by Tehran.

Iranian dissident Ardeshir Zarezadeh, a Toronto legal advisor, received a 2019 visit and call to his office from an FBI-identified Iranian intelligence officer, followed by a threat to uncover his home address.

Toronto dentist Hamed Esmaeilion, also a regime target, exposed former Iranian health minister Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi vacationing in Canada, leading to Hashemi's 36-month ban. Hashemi reportedly threatened retaliation against Esmaeilion for exposing his trip, but police said there was nothing they could about the threats.

CSIS reports increased Iranian death threats against Canadians via organized crime, targeting "perceived enemies" abroad. It states that threats and "malicious cyber activity" by Iran may increase with Mideast tensions.

Lawyer Kaveh Shahrooz faces constant threats online and hacking attempts, particularly after a Voice of America interview led to his relatives in Iran being interrogated.

The Iranian diaspora fears regime officials settling in Canada. A human rights lawyer and Canada's foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, expressed concern about Iranian sleeper cells and foreign interference.

“We are very concerned about foreign interference … We're very concerned about the Iranian regime, generally speaking," Anand told reporters last month.

Mahdi Nasiri, former head of Iran's hard-line Kayhan newspaper, arrived in Canada this spring, claiming to be a critic of the regime.

Three years ago, Morteza Talaei, a former Tehran police chief, was seen in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, exercising next to women in workout attire—an outfit he would have deemed criminal in his previous role. Critics accused him of hypocrisy.

The RCMP cited “operational reasons” for refusing to disclose complaints regarding alleged Tehran interference but confirmed serious investigation into suspected criminal activity.

A Leger poll in June showed 43% of Canadians oppose accepting more Iranian migrants, with 27% supportive and the rest undecided, suggesting a desire for increased scrutiny of admissions.

Canada fears accepting Iranian applicants with ties to the regime. A 2022 law, updated last year, bars senior Iranian officials from entering Canada since 2003, with many such cases apparent.

The IRCC has revoked 131 visas under Canadian law, while CBSA has started 115 investigations. Half of the investigations found individuals were not senior officials; the rest are under review or facing enforcement.

Of 20 alleged senior Iranian officials in Canada for inadmissibility hearings, only three have been ordered deported and one removed as of June.

Polling data on the degree of opposition to the Iranian regime is limited, though many critics believe the majority staunchly oppose it but fear speaking out. Intimidation silences most Iranian-Canadians, as regime-friendly "bad actors" denounce those critical of Ali Khamenei.

Few Iranians lived in Canada until the 1979 revolution transformed their homeland into a theocratic state led by unelected clerics. 

Iran is Canada's second-largest source of refugee claims after India, with over 6,600 asylum requests last year. Canada also accepted 41,740 Iranian guest workers via the international mobility program.

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Alex Dhaliwal

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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-07-18 23:07:00 -0400
    I remember when Brian Mulroney made a statement in reaction to someone taking potshots at Turkish diplomats nearly 40 years ago. He said that what happens in the old country stays in the old country and that whatever squabbles, disputes, and blood feuds that were going on over there have no business being brought into Canada.

    But, since it’s now Canada’s duty to adapt to the customs and habits of our “immigrants”, why bother checking the backgrounds of whoever comes over?
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-07-18 21:39:07 -0400
    Evil is what our government is and evil are the people they favour. Iran’s government has some sort of ideological and monitory hold on Ottawa. That’s what explains to me why they favour the wicked and persecute the righteous.