O'Toole, Ambrose, Baird and others call on Carney to take action against Iran

OTTAWA — More than 250 prominent Canadians have signed a letter calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to dial up the pressure against Iran. The letter, sent by pro-Israel group Allies for a Strong Canada, urges Carney to take decisive action to counter Iran’s “malign influence” on the Middle East and broader global landscape. “In light of Iran’s persistent aggression, including its support for terrorist organizations and its attempts to undermine stability in the Middle East, we urge Canada to take a leadership role against it in the international community,” reads the letter. The letter calls for Carney to tighten sanctions on Iran’s regime, root out Iranian agents operating on Canadian soil and bar fleeing Iranian officials from taking refuge inside the country. Signatories include former foreign affairs minister John Baird, Retired General Rick Hillier and ex-Conservative leaders Rona Ambrose and Erin O’Toole. It also includes former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell, former Alberta premier Jason Kenney and former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall. Michael Westcott, the executive director of Allies for a Strong Canada, told National Post that the fight against Iran belongs to Canada as much as anyone else. “Whether it was the recent threats against (ex-justice minister) Irwin Cotler, or the shooting down of Flight PS752 that left 55 Canadians dead, Iran is bad for Canada and bad for the world,” said Westcott. Signatory Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said that Carney must acknowledge the existential threat Iran presents to ally Israel. “It is important that Canada’s government begin from the premise that Israel, like every other state, should have the right to firmly defend itself against continuous and credible threats to its very existence.” Carney called for diplomatic solution on Sunday after news broke that the U.S. had executed strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel. “While U.S. military action taken last night was designed to alleviate (a nuclear) threat, the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. Stability in the region is a priority,” wrote Carney in a statement . National Post Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.