Iran InternationalAn Iran International exclusive has triggered a political firestorm in Ottawa — after Mehdi Taj, Iran’s football chief and a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence commander, was granted entry into Canada despite being legally inadmissible under the country’s own terrorist designation. Taj was issued a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) — a rare override used to bypass national security inadmissibility — allowing him to travel to Vancouver for a FIFA Congress. But after the story broke and public pressure mounted, he was stopped at the airport and sent back.
Now, Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing mounting questions: Who approved the permit? Why was an IRGC-linked figure allowed in? And did the government only act after being exposed? Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, joins Eye for Iran to demand accountability, warning that this case exposes deeper failures in Canada’s immigration system, national security screening and enforcement of its own IRGC terror listing. But this story doesn’t stop at Canada.
At the same time, the UK is facing a surge in violent attacks targeting Jewish communities — including a stabbing in Golders Green, attempted synagogue firebombings and arson attacks on Jewish ambulances. British authorities are now investigating whether these attacks are linked to Iran and a shadow network known as HAYI (Harakat al-Shabab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah).
Alex Winston of The Jerusalem Post explains why intelligence officials fear this reflects a broader Iranian strategy: proxy networks, online radicalization and sleeper cells recruited across Europe Len Khodorkovsky, former U.S. State Department official, breaks down the war of narratives, Trump’s warning to Iran and how the regime is using internet blackouts and information control to hide unrest and shape global perception.
This episode connects the dots between immigration policy, terrorism and the Islamic Republic’s global reach — and asks critical questions. Guests: Melissa Lantsman, Len Khodorkovsky, Alex Winston Host: Negar Mojtahedi Program: Eye for Iran Eye for Iran is a podcast series brought you by Iran International that takes you beyond the headlines and brings you the Iran stories that matter most.
