Canada is set to impose new sanctions against Iran on Monday, according to the Globe and Mail.  This move underscores Canada’s alignment with the U.S. and European Union, which have imposed tougher sanctions than those approved earlier by the United Nations in order to further pressure Tehran to drop what is widely believed to be a nuclear-weapons program. The new measures, which will be announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, “will include a ban on any new Canadian investment in Iran’s oil and gas sector, and restrictions on exporting goods that could be used in nuclear programs, including non-nuclear material that could be used in nuclear research and development. In addition, Iranian banks will be barred from opening branches in Canada and Canadian banks will not be able to set up operations in Iran.”

As noted in the Globe and Mail article, although “Canada’s commercial ties to Iran are not so vast that Ottawa’s sanctions will be a deep blow to Tehran,” the new Canadian sanctions “are intended to be part of increasing Western pressure.”  The article further reports that Australia and Japan are expected to follow suit.

The article can be accessed by clicking here.