Canada’s Federal Court has upheld a government decision to block a former Iranian oil executive from entering the country, dismissing his appeal as baseless, Global News reported on Friday.
The ruling concerns Mohammadreza Mazloumi Aboukheili, 64, a former director of operations at the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, a state-owned firm reporting to Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum.
He had applied for a visa to visit his son in Ontario, but Canadian authorities determined he was inadmissible due to his senior role in "a regime engaged in terrorism and systematic human-rights abuses," according to the court ruling.
Mazloumi had previously visited Canada before Ottawa introduced a 2022 policy targeting high-ranking Iranian officials, the court decision cited by Global News said.
Immigration officials argued his position placed him only two ranks below Iran’s oil minister, undermining his assertion that he was a “middle manager.”
Mazloumi challenged the assessment, but the judge rejected his arguments, saying the government’s decision was reasonable and supported by evidence. The court found “no error” in how the visa officer handled the case, noting the executive knowingly served in a government accused of terrorism and repression.
The case reflects Ottawa’s broader effort to prevent senior Iranian officials from entering Canada.
Almost three years after the policy was introduced, authorities have stopped nearly 200 suspected Islamic Republic figures at the border.
However, deporting those already inside Canada has proven more difficult. Only one suspected official has been removed to Iran, while several others remain in the country due to legal challenges.
Oil revenues play a central role in funding the Iranian state, which Ottawa has accused of supporting groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis, and supplying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Canadian authorities have also accused Tehran of targeting critics abroad, including activists and journalists living in Canada.
Mazloumi did not respond to a request for comment, Global News reported.
