Foreign Affairs Minister Anand was questioned at The Hague over warnings that Iran may orchestrate violence in Canada against regime critics.

"We are very concerned about foreign interference, including the types that were highlighted by him," Anand told reporters in response to former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler's warning that Iran could utilize sleeper cells to target and silence dissidents living in Canada. "We're very concerned about the Iranian regime, generally speaking," Anand furthered.

On Saturday, Anand had an "unprecedented call" with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi before U.S. airstrikes, believed to be the first since François-Philippe Champagne held the foreign affairs portfolio until January 2021.

During the call, she urged Iran to allow Canadians to leave, de-escalate conflict with Israel, and return to negotiations.

In a comment to CTV News, Canada's Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed it is investigating how dozens of suspected Iranian officials entered Canada, while three face deportation and one has been removed.

"Our strong response to suspected senior officials in the Iranian regime remains in place and the CBSA continues to take action to stop them from seeking or finding safe haven in Canada," wrote spokesperson Rebecca Purdy.

Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization last year and cut diplomatic ties over a decade ago.

Under that designation, the CBSA says 131 visas have been cancelled by the Department of Immigration, with 115 open investigations. Of those, 49 have concluded, with the rest ongoing. 

The CBSA reported 20 Iranian regime senior officials inadmissible; 19 face admissibility hearings. Three were deported after being found inadmissible as prescribed senior officials. Another individual was removed from Canada, according to Purdy.

There's been a heightened focus on the Iranian regime amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Cotler stated IRGC members have long operated in Canada and anticipates increased activity.

"We always see the confluence of domestic repression on the one hand and transnational repression, and even assassination, on the other," Cotler told CTV News. "So, while we have the intensified domestic repression, we can expect, as well, the transnational repression to be equally intensified."

Cotler advocates for more prosecutions of Iranian officials and IRGC members in Canada and a separate agency to investigate transnational repression.