Canada Denies Entry To Iranian Officials Under New Crackdown

Nasser Kanaani said Monday that “the country has the freedom to utilize the funds based on its needs", in response to the approval of a bill in the US Congress aimed at blocking Iran's assets in Qatar.

Kanaani said, "The bill necessitates approval from the US Senate and the President of the United States to become operational. The US government, bound by its international commitments and agreements with Iran concerning the released financial resources involving third-party countries, is obligated and committed. We have secured necessary assurances in this regard."

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan measure titled the "No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act." The measure aims to prevent Iran from accessing the $6 billion recently transferred by the US in a prisoner swap. Republicans pushed for the step in response to Iran's alleged involvement in the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which triggered the worst conflict in Gaza since the Iran-backed group took control in 2007. 

The tentative agreement between the US and Iran in August led to the release of five detained Americans in Tehran and an undisclosed number of Iranians imprisoned in the US. The agreement involved the transfer of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets from banks in South Korea to Qatar. However, following the Hamas attack, the US and Qatar agreed to restrict Iran's access to the funds, stopping short of a complete refreeze.

Titled "Qasem is Still Alive," the album features songs by Ali Reza Eftakhari, Sadeq Ahangaran, and Gholamreza Sanatgar. Published by the Center for the Arts Music Department, the album seeks to immortalize Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in 2020.

The strike was ordered by then-President Donald Trump, who claimed Soleimani was actively planning attacks on American diplomats, service members, and members of the administration in the region.

Despite the Islamic Republic's efforts to portray Soleimani as a national hero, ordinary Iranians have expressed their discontent by setting fire to or destroying statues and banners depicting him as an icon of the Islamic autocracy.

Instances of such protests occurred during the anniversary of Soleimani's death, with people in various cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Zarinshahr, Rafsanjan, and his hometown Kerman, burning statues and posters in defiance.

Soleimani's legacy remains contentious, with many Iranians viewing him as responsible for spreading violence in the region through Iran's proxies, and contributing to violent repression at home.

The Director General of Citizenship and Foreign Nationals Affairs of Kermanshah Province, Hamzeh Soleimani, confirmed on Sunday that settlement and employment of Afghan citizens are currently prohibited in provinces including Kermanshah, under a newly issued directive.

The directive, comprising eight stages for the identification, detention, and deportation of unauthorized nationals in Kermanshah, has been underway since the start of the year (March 21).

“Numerous housing construction projects, greenhouses, horse stables, and livestock farms underwent inspection under the plan, leading to the arrest and expulsion of Afghan workers from the province,” noted Soleimani.

The official also reported the detention of employers who had hired the individuals, emphasizing the severity of the measures taken.

Although specific provinces were not mentioned in the announcement, the Farda-e-Eghtesad website disclosed a list of 15 provinces where the residence of Afghan citizens is now prohibited. These include East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, and others.

Simultaneously, Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior in Ebrahim Raisi's administration, revealed the expulsion of approximately 400,000 migrants living “illegally” in Iran. However, details regarding their nationality and the timeframe for their return to their home countries were not provided.

The development follows over 540 artists, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and activists demanding an end to harassment against Afghan migrants in Iran in October. Amnesty International has also warned of the serious risks, particularly for Afghan women and girls, exposed to harassment and abuse solely based on their gender.

Afghan refugees have been streaming through the border in recent years, with their total number now estimated to be between six to seven million, according to the Iranian Parliament’s Research Center expert.

The victim was believed to be a 23-year-old German-Filipino citizen according to France 24. A 66-year-old British citizen and a 60-year-old French national were also wounded and the suspect, only named as Armand R, is now being investigated "in connection with a terrorist plot".

Born in France to Iranian parents, Armand R, 26, was known for his radical Islamism and had psychiatric issues. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed he was apprehended and tasered after fleeing the scene of the crime across the Seine.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin admitted that Armand R. had previously received a four-year prison sentence in 2016 for planning an attack that he did not execute.

Darmanin claimed that Armand R told the police that he could not tolerate the killing of Muslims in "Afghanistan and Palestine", blaming France for being an accomplice for the Israeli retaliatory attacks in Gaza following the Hamas invasion on October 7, which left 1,200 mostly civilians dead and 240 taken hostage. Israel's onslaught has since left more than 15,000 dead in Gaza and large swathes of the population displaced.

According to France 24, police and security sources claimed the attacker posted a video claiming responsibility to social media at the moment of the attack, speaking about "current events, the government, the murder of innocent Muslims".

In the nearly two-minute video, the attacker declared his support for Islamic State (IS) and pledged allegiance to its current leader Abu Hafs. The attacker claimed he acted “to avenge Muslims” and hailed the accomplishments of IS members. According to the report, he made no mention of Palestine or Gaza in the video.

Announcing the incident on X, the US military did not provide more detail except a photo taken from a US aircraft showing an unmanned aerial aircraft flying above what appeared to be an aircraft carrier. It did not say if the drone had left after it was intercepted, or what that term exactly meant.

Iranian military officials boasted earlier that their drones were closely following the US naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier Dwight D Eisenhower that entered the Persian Gulf earlier in the week. The naval group was first sent to the eastern Mediterranean after war broke out between Israel and Hamas following the October 7 attack on Israel that killed more than 1,000 civilians and the taking of more than 200 hostages by Hamas.

Despite daily statements in support of Hamas, Iran has avoided direct involvement in the war, but its proxy forces in the region have attacked US forces dozens of times since mid-October.

Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the IRGC navy said on Friday that warships belonging to foreign countries were in the Persian Gulf region only to “foment tensions”.

Tangsiri claimed earlier in the week that his forces had sent drones to harass the operations of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group. The incident was confirmed and described as "unsafe, unprofessional and irresponsible" in a statement issued Wednesday by US Naval Forces Central Command chief Vice Admiral Brad Cooper.