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Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand speaks to journalists as she arrives for a meeting of the federal cabinet in West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 14, 2025. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
Canadian politicians have reacted to Israel’s latest military strikes against Iran, with the Liberal government calling for de-escalation and Conservatives backing Israeli action.
Israel launched a series of raids inside Iran in the early morning hours of June 13, targeting top military officials and Iran’s nuclear program. Three of Iran’s top military commanders were killed in the strike. Iran reportedly responded by sending over 100 drones, which were shot down before reaching Israel.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said that de-escalation “must be the priority” and that further actions could trigger a broader regional conflict with “devastating consequences.”
“We urge all parties to refrain from actions that further destabilize the region,” Anand said in a June 13 statement on social media. The minister added that Canada remains “deeply concerned by the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre backed Israel, saying it cannot wait until Iran has the capability to launch nuclear weapons.
“We should all hope that this is the end of the regime’s nuclear program and that the great Persian people can now rise up to reclaim their country from the totalitarian regime,” he said on June 13.
Poilievre also called on all levels of government to take measures to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks, which he said could flare up following the Israeli strikes.
Poilievre had said back in October that pre-emptive Israeli strikes against Iran’s nuclear program would be a “gift” to humanity.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution on June 12 declaring that Iran was not complying with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, a first in nearly 20 years.
The resolution came after the head of the IAEA said earlier this week the agency’s inspectors couldn’t determine whether Tehran’s nuclear program is “exclusively peaceful.”
“Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the agency’s questions,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on June 9. “It has also sought to sanitize the locations, which has impeded Agency verification activities.”
The Israeli strikes against Iran came as Washington was holding negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March which led to talks beginning in April.
During his first term, Trump had pulled out of the deal with Iran agreed to by former U.S. President Barack Obama, which put limits on the nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
Reacting to the Israeli offensive on June 13, Trump said back in March he had given Iran an ultimatum of 60 days to reach an agreement but they “just couldn’t get there.”
“Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen,” Trump said about the military strikes. “They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” he added, warning of other Israeli strikes and suggesting a deal was still possible.
Khamenei, for his part, has said Israel should “expect severe punishment.”
Washington and Tehran were set to hold another round of nuclear talks on June 15.
The Trump administration, although it backs Israel, has said it was not involved in the strikes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the action “unilateral” in a statement saying, “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.”
