Introduction: A Hidden Past, A New Identity
In recent years, Es’hagh Hajizadeh, a former high-ranking official of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, has drawn attention for his activities in Canada. Now living in Vancouver under the name “Isaac Hakim,” he has a long history of supplying equipment and arms for Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. This investigative report, the result of two years of work, delves into his background in Iran, his name change, and his financial activities in Canada, exposing the challenges faced by the country’s security and regulatory systems.
Part 1: The German Factory and Iran’s Nuclear Programs
In 2013, The Washington Post published an investigative report that exposed a mysterious factory in Germany. While outwardly producing compressed gas cylinders, it was actually a front for supplying equipment for Iran’s missile and nuclear programs. The factory’s owners were Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani (a member of Iran’s JCPOA negotiation team) and Es’hagh Hajizadeh.
Inside the factory, expensive industrial equipment, including 1,180 kilograms of carbon fiber (enough to produce more than 550 nuclear centrifuges), was discovered. The factory’s suspicious activities drew the attention of German security officials, and a few weeks after the Washington Post report was published, the factory was permanently closed. Hajizadeh then returned to Canada.
Part 2: Background in Iran and International Sanctions
In the 1980s, Hajizadeh joined the Ministry of Intelligence due to his family background and became a trusted associate of Mohammad Reyshahri, Iran’s first Minister of Intelligence. When Reyshahri was transferred to the Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine, Hajizadeh followed him and became a board member of several companies affiliated with the Supreme Leader’s office and revolutionary institutions, including the Fahad Rey Holding and the Kosar Economic Organization.
These companies, including Pars MCS and its German branch, were all placed under sanctions by the U.S. Treasury in the years that followed.
Part 3: Changing Identity and Bypassing Systems
After returning to Canada, Hajizadeh was initially known as “Amir Hakim.” However, because his real name appeared on money laundering watchlists, his and his family’s bank accounts were frozen. To bypass the Canadian and American banking, financial, and security systems, Hajizadeh legally changed his name to “Isaac Hakim” in 2016.
He cleverly chose a well-known Jewish-Iranian name, which helped him open new accounts at the very same banks that had previously frozen his assets. In 2019, with the help of an associate, Mohammad Masoud Rahdel, Hajizadeh began working as a financial advisor for an international insurance and financial investment company called World Financial Group. It appears the company either was unaware of his background or failed to conduct the necessary due diligence.
Conclusion: Wealth, Threats, and Canada’s Systemic Failures
Es’hagh Hajizadeh (Isaac Hakim) brought a significant amount of wealth from Iran and has since purchased a residential villa in Vancouver worth over $4 million, all while continuing his financial activities. Attempts to interview him and expose his background were met with legal threats.
The case of Es’hagh Hajizadeh is a clear example of the failure of Canada’s security and regulatory systems. It shows how an individual can easily change their name, deceive banks, and, despite a suspicious history, work as a financial advisor. This highlights the vulnerability of Canadian systems in detecting and countering financial influence and money laundering by individuals tied to foreign regimes.
