Mahdi Nasiri, a former high-profile Iranian official, entered Canada in April 2025 despite a 2022 government ban on senior Iranian regime officials. His presence has sparked calls for investigation and deportation, raising questions about the effectiveness of Canada's immigration screening. Nasiri claims to have been critical of the Iranian regime for six years and now supports the liberal opposition.
Iranian officials are banned from Canada — but this former regime member landed in April
Visa Inc.Canada bans iranian officialsFormer iranian regime official in canadaMahdi nasiriCanadaIranTehranCanada Border Services AgencyBusinessBorder securityPrayerImmigration
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Mahdi Nasiri, a former high-profile Iranian official, entered Canada in April 2025 despite a 2022 government ban on senior Iranian regime officials. His presence has sparked calls for investigation and deportation, raising questions about the effectiveness of Canada's immigration screening. Nasiri claims to have been critical of the Iranian regime for six years and now supports the liberal opposition.
Trending- 1 1979: Iranian revolution
- 2 1990s: Mahdi Nasiri was managing director of Kayhan newspaper
- 3 2001-2005: Nasiri was political deputy of policymaking council of Friday imams
- 4 2003: Start date for ban on senior Iranian officials
- 5 Until 2009: Nasiri was senior representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's office in UAE
- 6 2022: Trudeau government promised crackdown on Iranian officials, designated leadership inadmissible
- 7 2023: Nasiri obtained visitor visa from Canadian consulate in Istanbul
- 8 Last year (2024): Ban expanded to include anyone who served as senior official since June 2003
- 9 April 2025: Mahdi Nasiri landed in Canada
- 10 June 27, 2025: Article published, Nasiri's name reported to RCMP
- Public calls for investigation and deportation of Mahdi Nasiri.
- Questions raised about the effectiveness of Canada's immigration screening and enforcement.
- Concerns among Iranian Canadians about harassment and surveillance.
What: A former high-profile Iranian official, Mahdi Nasiri, entered Canada despite a ban on senior Iranian regime officials.
When: Nasiri landed in Canada in April 2025; ban expanded last year (2024); Trudeau government promised crackdown in 2022; Nasiri obtained visitor visa in 2023; his roles were in the 1990s and 2001-2005, and until 2009.
Where: Canada, Iran (Tehran), United Arab Emirates, Istanbul (Turkey).
Why: To investigate how a banned former Iranian official was able to enter Canada and to highlight concerns about the effectiveness of Canada's immigration and border security measures.
How: By reporting on Mahdi Nasiri's entry, his past roles, the Canadian government's ban, and reactions from human rights activists, lawyers, and criminology professors, as well as Nasiri's own defense.