The Canadian Security Intelligence Service announced in its annual report on foreign interventions in Canada in 2023 that during this year, Russia, China, India, and the Iranian regime increased their activities. According to the organization, the Iranian regime has become more hostile in its foreign operations.
The report, released on Thursday, May 9, states that foreign countries engage in various hostile activities in Canada, such as incitement, assassination, coercion, illegal financing, cyber sabotage, and manipulation of information.
This report comes a day after the Canadian House of Commons, on Wednesday with unanimous consent and without any opposing votes, passed a motion calling on the government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group.
This is the second time in the past six years that the Canadian Parliament has urged the government to designate the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s (CSIS) report devotes a section specifically to the activities of the Iranian regime, stating:
“The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to be a major power in the Middle East, spreading its influence on Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond.”
According to CSIS, “Its regional ambitions have been advanced primarily through an alliance with Syria and the use of Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. Efforts to obstruct Iran’s ambitions by the United States (US), Israel, and other regional states have led Iran to seek informal alliances with like-minded, anti-Western states like the Russian Federation.”
“Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel, Iran has publicly praised the militancy targeting Israel and authorized its proxies and allies, including the Houthis in Yemen, to conduct attacks against Israel and US interests in Iraq and Syria.” The report continued.
“Iran’s external operations in Western countries have been increasingly aggressive and expansive in recent years, resulting in numerous disruptions of lethal plots by security and law enforcement services in the US, the United Kingdom and in several European countries.” The report added.
CSIS emphasizes that, “Iran and its intelligence services are interested in influencing and clandestinely collecting information on the Iranian community, including anti-regime activists and political dissidents; human, women’s and minority rights activists; and fugitives wanted by the regime.”
The CSIS emphasized in its report that, “Ultimately, these hostile activities undermine the security of Canada and Canadians, as well as Canada’s democratic values and sovereignty.”
The CSIS predicted that, “Iranian threat-related activities directed at Canada and its allies are likely to continue in 2024 and may increase depending on regional developments and the Iranian regime’s own threat perceptions.”
Hostile state actors have become increasingly belligerent
Vanessa Lloyd, Deputy Director of Operations of CSIS, also said, “Hostile state actors have become increasingly belligerent and emboldened to advance their objectives in both the physical and cyber realms, while seeking to silence those who challenge their narrative. They have more options and opportunities to conceal their threat activities, including by using criminal organizations as proxies.”
“Never before have Canada’s diverse communities been so highly targeted by such blatant actions of foreign interference. However, this serious threat is not specific to Canada; our closest allies and fellow like-minded countries face the same malicious activities,” she continued.
“Canada’s adversaries continue to target our talent and intellectual property to advance their espionage and proliferation objectives while national security concerns are increasingly relevant to the assessment of foreign investments in Canada, which could impact our country’s prosperity. While the Government of Canada seeks to provide opportunities for new beginnings, security assessments are the first line of defence against the exploitation of immigration pathways by threat actors.” Lloyd further added.
