Iran has criticised Canada for backing US-led efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Ottawa of submitting to American pressure while claiming to support international law.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described Canada’s position as “a display of strategic confusion and submission to intimidation” in a post on X.
Baghaei said Ottawa had chosen to “appease” Washington on the same day US President Donald Trump portrayed Canada as part of the United States in a post depicting US territory covering Canada, Greenland and Iceland.
Trump has repeatedly suggested during his second term that Canada could become the 51st US state and that Washington should annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Baghaei’s remarks followed Canada’s condemnation of what it called Iran’s “destabilizing actions” in the Middle East. Ottawa said it would work with international partners to maintain significant pressure on Tehran through sanctions and support efforts led by the US, France and the UK to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Canada cannot credibly present itself as a champion of ‘peace and security,’ ‘freedom of navigation,’ and ‘international law’ while simultaneously backing U.S. military aggression and Washington’s illegal, interventionist actions in our region,” Baghaei said.
He added that Canada’s position was neither “diplomacy” nor “responsible statecraft”, arguing that supporting Washington would not protect Ottawa from what he described as American “bullying and aggression”.
Baghaei also questioned why Canada would support the US despite what he called Washington’s “bad faith”, saying Ottawa knew that US signatures were “written in pencil”.
The criticism comes amid deteriorating relations between Canada and the US. Trade talks between Ottawa and Washington collapsed last month after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said US demands had gone too far.
“They asked too much and offered too little,” Carney said.
The breakdown triggered US tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, while Canada announced matching retaliatory tariffs that are due to take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
Iran has also warned other US allies against supporting Washington’s military operations in the region, including South Korea.
Baghaei on Monday warned Seoul against potential military involvement or support for what he described as US “aggression”, posting his message in Korean.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said it was maintaining close communication with relevant countries to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East.
Seoul said last week that it was considering options, including military measures to support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Baghaei warned that countries maintaining a military presence or participating in US operations in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would be regarded by Tehran as directly supporting the perpetrators of the aggression.
He said such involvement would “lead to serious consequences”.
Meanwhile, criticism of the US military campaign has emerged from within Washington.
Democratic Representative Jason Crow, an Army veteran and member of the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, described the war as “an absolute quagmire”.
Crow said the conflict was “all predictable & preventable” and called for an end to what he described as “forever wars” in the Middle East.
His comments echoed those of Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who criticised Trump in a video message on X.
Warner described the conflict as an “Iran war of choice” and said it had already cost Americans $100 billion, with the cost increasing by another $1 million every two minutes.
He accused the administration of lacking clear objectives, saying the war had been launched “with no plan, no strategy, no allies, and no way to get out.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously said the conflict would not become a “forever war” for Washington.
Boluwatife Enome
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