Exiled prince warns West about Iran's role in spreading 'radical Islamism'

“I want to see the Iranian government reverse direction. To stop harassing and abusing the population in Iran and here in Canada,” said Pierre Poilievre, referencing reports that Canadian residents who were targeted by state-linked actors.

“The regime is evil,” said Poilievre speaking at a roundtable news conference with Canadian media Tuesday in Surrey, British Columbia.

“We will confront the Iranian regime at every step.”

Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran’s snap presidential election by securing 16,384,403 votes, according to official figures on July 6. His ultraconservative contender Saeed Jalili won 13,538,179 votes in a runoff election boycotted by more than 50% of eligible voters.

Poilievre said he plans to direct the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Immigration officials to deport “non-citizens who are linked to the Iranian regime.”

Canadian immigration authorities have initiated deportation proceedings against five suspected senior Iranian government officials residing in Canada. The CBSA alleged that these individuals held senior positions in Iran’s government. The Trudeau government adopted sanctions in November 2022, barring individuals linked to the Iranian state from entering Canada, with the first deportation order related to that, initiated in February 2024.

In November 2023, Poilievre called for immediate action against Iran, in the wake of a Global News report revealing the extent of the Islamic Republic’s interference in Canada.

A Global News year-long investigation had uncovered upwards of 700 regime- linked associates operating on Canadian soil, and reportedly threatening members of the diaspora who speak out against them. That report also revealed that prominent women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad was advised by the FBI not to travel to Canada for her safety.

The leader of the federal Opposition said his policy would ensure that Canadians would “no longer have to see regime officials in gyms and restaurants enjoying their mansions that’s paid for by money stolen from the Iranian people.”

In Dec 2022, Canada sanctioned Morteza Talaei, a high-profile former Tehran police chief after his appearance at a Toronto-area gym the year prior sparked outrage. Talaei, a retired second brigadier general with the IRGC was in charge of Tehran's police in 2003 when Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in custody.

Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the proscription of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror organization at an official news conference in Ottawa on June 19.

That was after six years of Conservative motions pushing to have the IRGC on the Canadian terror list. The Iranian community in Canada has been pressuring the Canadian government to take action, especially the families of those killed onboard flight PS752, which was shot down a few minutes after takeoff from Tehran’s international airport in January 2020.

The listing process stems from the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 and is set out in section 83.05 of the criminal code.

That aspect of the criminal code specifies that it’s a crime to provide property or financial services that could benefit a terrorist group, which means law enforcement will be able to charge those who support the IRGC financially or materially. Those measures include freezing assets and deportation if a crime is committed.

Speaking on Iran International’s English Podcast ‘Eye for Iran’ recently, Canada’s Conservative Deputy leader Melissa Lantsman accused the Liberal government of deliberately leaking its plan to designate the IRGC as a terror entity.

During Tuesday’s news conference, Poilivere said he would ensure that the ban on the IRGC is “actually enforced.”

He also declared that he would “bring in the most devastating sanctions” against Iran.

"The regime is evil. It is targeting its citizens. It's harassing our citizens in this country. I believe it was behind the October 7th attack. I believe that it. We know that they killed 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents in the [PS] 752 attack. We need to hold them accountable at the International Criminal Court for this. A terrorist attack on our country. And that will be my approach in dealing with the regime in Tehran,” Poilievere said.

"Despite promises, three years into the current administration, we are still witnessing power outages which have severely disrupted the economy and brought about numerous crises," said Mohammad Reza Rezaei Kouchi.

Kouchi also noted that the onset of summer and the subsequent surge in peak electricity consumption "have increased production costs, ultimately impacting everyone."

In response to criticism from the private sector regarding the power outages, the Ministry of Energy has stated that the issue falls under the jurisdiction of security agencies, not the government.

Conversely, an official at the Iran Chamber of Commerce told the semi-official ILNA that one-day power outages in industrial parks, mandated by the Ministry of Energy, have become a standard practice despite being illegal.

The official also noted that these outages are sometimes extended to two days a week.

Iranian media reported that a new record was set yesterday with an unprecedented demand of 77,151 megawatts, necessitating extraordinary measures to maintain grid stability.

The country is currently grappling with a severe energy deficit crisis, worsened by the summer heat and the government's failure to meet natural gas and electricity production targets.

Iran has been unable to boost natural gas production although it has the world's second largest reserves. Meanwhile, extremely low energy prices, subsidized by the government, encourage persistent increase in consumption.

Reports of power outages affecting residential areas, including Tehran and Isfahan, have also emerged.

Media sources indicate that the residential grid experienced unannounced cuts despite temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius.

Khabar Online reported that power cuts in some central Tehran areas have extended to four hours, compared to the previous maximum of two hours during hot seasons.

Reports indicate that the power supply situation in southern provinces is even more critical, leading to the closure of some government offices.

Power outages have become a significant industry issue, causing considerable disruption and drawing complaints from business owners.

This week, electricity at the Saipa automotive factory was cut for at least five hours, severely affecting production.

Persistent power cuts have caused significant disruptions in Tehran's industrial hub. The newspaper "Donya-e-Eqtesad" reported that the electricity crisis has escalated from media warnings to SMS alerts to citizens. Each outage severely impacts industries, taking about 24 hours to restart operations, thereby increasing losses.

Dalga Khatinoglu, an oil, gas, and economic analyst, noted instead of addressing the fundamental energy imbalance, authorities have opted to reduce electricity and gas to industries—a short-term solution that fails to resolve the country's energy deficit.

Additionally, many of Iran's power plants are inefficient gas or steam types. Instead of modernizing the grid or converting to more efficient combined-cycle plants, the government has opted to adjust office hours and impose restrictions on industrial power supply.

"The fact that mourning processions are starting in America, Europe, and Africa signifies this very image of sacrifice and martyrdom," he said Wednesday.

Iran has been actively promoting Shiism globally, particularly in Africa, through orchestrated mourning processions during the month of Muharram. The processions, which commemorate the third Shia Imam, Hussein ibn Ali, are a tool for spreading Iran's religious ideology.

Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is of great significance to Shia Muslims, marking the Battle of Karbala where Hussein ibn Ali and his followers were killed. This symbolic event is leveraged by Iran to propagate Shia values and extend its ideological reach.

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Shia Muslims is projected to be between 219 million and 285 million in 2030, up from between 162 million and 211 million in 2010.

They predict that Shia Muslims will make up 10-13 percent of the world’s Muslims, roughly the same percentage as today.

In recent years, Iran has facilitated the spread of the processions beyond its borders. In the United States, Europe, and various African countries, such events are drawing participation from local Shia communities and others.

The processions feature gatherings, public displays of grief, and rituals such as recitations, lamentations, and reenactments of the Battle of Karbala.

The events serve not only religious purposes but also function as instruments of cultural and political influence as Iran seeks to strengthen the sense of unity and identity among Shia communities worldwide.

Zakani slammed the campaign, branding it "entirely slanderous" and "illegal". Addressed to the Tehran City Council, the petition criticizes his management, particularly his controversial decisions to repurpose green spaces for mosques and commercial projects.

In April, tens of thousands of people signed a petition to stop the destruction of Qeytarieh Park, where Zakani's administration planned to construct a mosque.

Last year he was put under sanctions by the UK, US, Canada and Australia "because he is and has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuses in Iran", including "determining and enforcing mandatory dress codes for women."

In response to the campaign for his dismissal, a group identifying as “faithful and revolutionary youth of the country” launched a counter-campaign on the Karzar website, praising Zakani as “undoubtedly unmatched in uncorruptness and honesty.”

Tehran City Council chairman Mehdi Chamran attempted to downplay the situation, comparing it to unsuccessful efforts to unseat US President Joe Biden. Chamran argued that the large number of signatures alone does not warrant Zakani's removal.

Tehran faces severe challenges such as air pollution, traffic congestion, land subsidence, water shortages, and high housing costs, which many residents believe have worsened under Zakani’s leadership.

The mayor withdrew from the recent presidential race in support of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili.

Hengaw Human Rights Organization, a Kurdish rights group, reported that Zaheri had been summoned to the Sardasht Intelligence Office and interrogated for several hours while visiting his family.

The reason for his arrest on July 2 remains unknown. His passport, along with those belonging to his wife and two children, have also been confiscated.

The professional bodybuilder is one of a long line of dual nationals, the numbers of which remain a closely guarded secret, to be arrested by Iranian forces. They are often held on charges of espionage as Iran continues its policy of diplomatic hostage taking.

Last month, Sweden released former Iranian jailor Hamid Nouri, who faced life imprisonment for his involvement in Iran's 1988 mass executions. In return, Iran released Swedish EU diplomat Johan Floderus and Swedish-Iranian citizen Saeid Azizi.

And last year, the United States released around $6 billion in Iran's frozen funds to secure the release of five dual nationals held in Iran. This arrangement faced strong public criticism for its rewarding the policy of hostage-taking.

After last month's exchange, exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi criticized the Swedish Prime Minister's decision to release Nouri, calling it "an affront to the rule of law, human rights, and basic decency."

He branded the move as "feckless appeasement", arguing that it would only encourage more hostage-taking and blackmail.

Following Zaheri's arrest, rights group Hengaw issued a warning to all Iranian dual nationals that "traveling to Iran can have serious consequences".

It said: "Since the beginning of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolution, arrests and heavy sentences for dual citizens have significantly increased. The Iranian government does not recognize dual citizenship and may consider these individuals solely as Iranian citizens."