Canada bans thousands of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from entering country in major escalation

In a major escalation against Tehran’s regime, Canada on Friday permanently banned large numbers of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) from crossing its border.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s declaration stopped short of legally declaring the IRGC a terrorist organization as conservatives had sought.

But it nonetheless will reduce Iran’s presence in the West while increasing pressure on its ruling mullahs as they try to violently suppress nationwide protests.

Trudeau said the move would ban over 10,000 members of the IRGC, including many prominent leaders, from entering Canada and was appropriate punishment for a regime he said was engaged in “heinous state behavior.”

“This is the strongest measure we have to go after states and state entities,” he said. “The Canadian criminal code is not the best tool to go after states or state entities, but we will continue to look at all tools we can use to do it.”

At least 92 people have been killed in Iran since Sept. 16, according to Oslo-based Iran Human Rights, after protests broke out countrywide over the killing of a young woman by the country’s religious police.