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Iran may have ‘directed’ recent attacks in Canada, intelligence report says

Published July 5, 2026 at 7:29 PM UTC

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A top-secret government report obtained by Global News suggests that Iran's intelligence services may be behind recent attacks in Canada. The threat assessment indicates a "realistic possibility" that Iran has utilized local criminal networks to target Canada's Jewish community. Additionally, "actors who may be directed by Iranian Intelligence Services" are suspected of threatening Israeli and Iranian communities and interests within Canada. The intelligence brief, dated April 2, was released under the Access to Information Act. While the report does not publicly identify specific acts of violence, it references a new organization called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, which has claimed responsibility for attacks in Europe, including an arson at a London synagogue. U.S. prosecutors have alleged that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya is a front for Kata’ib Hizballah, a pro-Iran Shia militia based in Iraq. In May, U.S. authorities arrested a Kata’ib Hizballah member named Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi for allegedly directing attacks in Europe. Al-Saadi reportedly boasted about orchestrating two attacks in Toronto—the shootings at a synagogue and the U.S. consulate. Toronto police have arrested several individuals connected to a crime network hired to open fire on the American consulate. During the investigation, Const. Marc Pinizzotto was fatally shot, and authorities are examining more than two dozen shootings across the city. The gunmen were reportedly hired through encrypted messaging applications and required to record videos of the incidents to receive payment. Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw stated, "What we are dealing with in this case and in other unrelated incidents, including shootings at synagogues and Jewish schools, is a recurring and similar modus operandi—criminals for hire." The Secretary of State for Combatting Crime, Ruby Sahota, has attributed the attacks to an unnamed "foreign entity." Canadian authorities have not publicly linked the case to Iran. However, two intelligence reports released to Global News point to the possible involvement of Iranian intelligence. The reports state that "actors who may be directed by Iranian Intelligence Service" have been involved in threats and suspicious activities targeting Israeli, Iranian, and Jewish community-linked individuals and interests in Canada. Iran has a history of targeting opponents in Western countries and has allegedly plotted to assassinate critics in Canada, including former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler. On June 10, Canada joined its allies in condemning "lethal plotting" against Iranian dissidents and Jewish community members by Iran. The joint statement blamed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization, the Quds Force, and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The statement also condemned attacks across Europe claimed by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya "and supported by their intermediaries." Last week, Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated that Canada had no plans to restore diplomatic relations with Iran, which were severed in 2012. Her comments followed remarks by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who noted that not having embassies in Iran and Venezuela put Canada "at a disadvantage."