Canada bans members of Iran’s 'murderous' regime

Canada on Friday increased pressure on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), saying it would ban half of its leaders from entering the country and promising stepped-up sanctions.

Click here for an Explainer on the IRGC.

"The IRGC is a terrorist organization," Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said at a news conference.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he listed Iran under "the most powerful provision" of Canada's immigration and refugee protection act, making over 10,000 members of the IRGC – which Ottawa blames for "heinous acts" against the Iran people – inadmissible to enter Canada.

"This is the strongest measure we have to go after states and state entities," he said, adding it was previously applied only against regimes for war crimes or genocide.

The unrest in Iran erupted nearly three weeks ago after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was killed after being detained for wearing clothes deemed “inappropriate” by the Islamic Republic’s morality police.

Thousands have been arrested in the crackdown by security forces and dozens killed – with estimates of over 150 deaths, according to rights groups.

Also on Friday, the US State Department said it would continue to coordinate with its allies and partners on how to respond to Iran's "bloody crackdown" on protesters and its "state-sponsored violence" against women.

"We are going to continue to coordinate with our allies and partners and respond to Iran's violent crackdown as well as, frankly, its state-sponsored violence against women," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"The Iranian government has now killed more than 100 people in its bloody crackdown," he added, citing credible human rights groups.