Recent developments point to a renewed and calculated effort by the Islamic Republic—the occupying regime in Iran—to restore diplomatic and economic relations with Canada. Any attempt to reopen these ties must be judged first and foremost by one question: Will this make Canadians safer, or will it create new risks inside our own country?

This is not simply a debate about trade, business opportunities, or diplomatic convenience. It is a national security issue. Canada is considering deeper engagement with a regime whose most powerful military and security organization, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been designated by Canada as a terrorist organization.

The Canadian government must explain how it intends to protect Canadians while rebuilding relations with a regime whose security apparatus is responsible for foreign interference, intimidation campaigns, terrorism financing, and operations beyond Iran’s borders.

The Islamic Republic does not have a normal private economy independent of the state. Many of its major economic institutions, industries, and........

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