Iran Criticizes Canada for Failing to Condemn Trump’s Threat to Destroy Tehran

Tehran has directed sharp criticism at Canada for its refusal to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iran, accusing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of bowing to American pressure rather than standing firm against aggression.

Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, took to the social media platform X to address Carney’s recent comments. Baqaei stated that the Canadian leader chose a path of appeasement by characterizing Trump’s vow to “annihilate” the Islamic republic as simply “speaking the language of war,” rather than outright rejecting the threat.

The dispute arises from remarks Carney made earlier in the week, in which he labeled Iran as one of the most significant dangers in the modern world and described it as an existential threat to Israel and its allies. When pressed on Trump’s remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Carney noted that a war was already underway and interpreted the president’s words as rhetorical posturing typical of conflict.

Baqaei responded by accusing Carney of failing to denounce what he termed blatant U.S. warmongering. In a pointed message, the Iranian official warned that the era of shielding oneself under the “long shadow of American bullying” would not last forever. He added that leaders who relied on mimicking the language of powerful nations to avoid their wrath would eventually be left exposed before the truth.

During his UNGA speech, Trump declared that he faced a major decision regarding Iran: either negotiate a deal or swiftly “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has separately blamed the United States and Israel for fueling global instability and conducting illegal strikes against Iranian civilians and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined the Trump administration’s strategic objectives for the region during an interview with Fox News. Bessent identified three potential outcomes Washington hopes to achieve: internal fragmentation within the Iranian regime, a popular uprising among the Iranian people, or securing Iran’s commitment to any agreement reached.

Bessent also highlighted the severity of economic sanctions, claiming they are squeezing Iran with unprecedented intensity. He reported that external flights from Iran have declined by 80% to 90%, jokingly questioning how Iranian representatives at the UN would manage to return home. On Tuesday, Bessent further threatened to shut down all Iranian airline operations effective immediately, signaling an escalation in economic pressure.