A former senior Iranian official living in Toronto played a “critical” role in generating government revenue that helped fund Iran's military, weapons production and armed groups in the Middle East, Global News reported, citing Canadian government documents.
The documents, released in redacted form by Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board at the request of Global News, include a Canada Border Services Agency assessment that said Abbas Omidi's senior role in Iran's mining sector benefited the government's ability to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and armed groups abroad.
“As a result of his power and influence, the subject directly benefited the Iranian economy and the government’s ability to continue to fund terrorism and human rights abuses throughout the world,” the CBSA said.
The agency said Omidi was “critical in the Iranian government’s continued ability to draw in mining revenue and fund the military, weapons manufacturing, and terrorism, both foreign and domestic.”
The assessment was written in 2024 and formed part of hundreds of pages disclosed in Omidi's deportation case, Global News reported.
Omidi's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment from Global News. At his deportation hearing, Omidi acknowledged serving as a deputy director general in Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade but said his role was mainly technical.
CBSA links mining revenue to IRGC funding
The CBSA said Iran's mining sector was closely tied to the military and the IRGC and provided revenue that helped Tehran support armed groups in the region.
“The abundant amount of wealth generated from the mining industry allows the Iranian regime and specifically, the IRGC, to continue to be a state sponsor of terrorism,” the CBSA report said.
The agency said the IRGC provided financing, training, weapons, technology and other support to groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Iraqi group Kata'ib Hezbollah.
Canada lists the IRGC as a terrorist entity.
The CBSA said Omidi “directly and significantly impacted and benefited the Iranian economy and the government’s ability to continue to fund its military, weapons production, and terrorism and human rights abuses throughout the world.”
Global News said the allegations about Omidi's role in revenue used to support armed groups were contained in the CBSA assessment but were not raised during his deportation hearing.
Deportation case centers on senior government role
The CBSA is seeking to deport Omidi on the grounds that he was a senior official in Iran's government, Global News reported.
Canada moved in 2022 to bar senior Iranian government officials from entering or remaining in the country after Tehran's crackdown on anti-government protests.
Omidi arrived in Canada as a visitor in 2022 after serving in Iran's mining and trade ministry. The CBSA said he had “exerted significant influence on the exercise of government power,” according to Global News.
His deportation hearing began in March. The Immigration and Refugee Board said on Wednesday that the hearing had concluded and that a decision was expected in the fall.
Omidi had sought to keep the proceedings closed to the press, but the board rejected the request after Global News challenged the move.
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