Poilievre Turns Iran File Into Security Test With Kata’ib Hezbollah Call

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has urged the federal government to immediately add Iraq-based Kata’ib Hezbollah to Canada’s list of terrorist entities, citing U.S. allegations connecting a senior figure in the Iran-backed group to attacks carried out in Toronto.

In a letter to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Poilievre argued that Canada should not wait for another synagogue or foreign consulate to be attacked before acting against the organization allegedly directing such operations. He also accused the Liberal government of failing to enforce Canada’s terrorism laws with sufficient urgency.

The Conservative demand follows a U.S. criminal complaint against Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, whom prosecutors describe as a senior Kata’ib Hezbollah commander and an operative associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The complaint alleges that Kata’ib Hezbollah operated through a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya and was involved in planning, coordinating or claiming responsibility for at least 18 attacks in Europe and two additional attacks in Canada.

According to the court documents, Al-Saadi stated during a recorded March 20, 2026 call that “our people” were behind two Canadian attacks against what he called “the consulate” and “the Knesset.” An FBI investigator interpreted those references as the March 10 shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and an attack targeting a synagogue.

The complaint further alleges that Al-Saadi sought assistance in arranging additional attacks in Canada and the United States. These claims remain allegations contained in a U.S. criminal complaint and have not been established by a final court judgment.

Poilievre argues that listing Kata’ib Hezbollah would allow authorities to freeze and seize its assets, disrupt financing networks and strengthen enforcement against individuals connected to the organization.

Under Canada’s Criminal Code, the Governor in Council may add an entity to the terrorist list following a recommendation from the public safety minister when there are reasonable grounds to believe that it participated in or facilitated terrorist activity, or knowingly acted on behalf of such an entity. Listing also triggers serious financial and legal consequences, including asset freezes and restrictions on knowingly dealing with the entity’s property.

Kata’ib Hezbollah does not currently appear on Canada’s official list, although Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are listed entities. Poilievre’s call therefore remains an opposition policy demand, not a decision adopted by the federal government.

Politically, the move reflects a Conservative effort to shift the debate over Iranian-backed groups from foreign policy into the centre of Canada’s domestic security agenda. By linking the organization to alleged attacks on a synagogue and a diplomatic mission, Poilievre is arguing that the threat is no longer distant or theoretical but potentially connected to violence on Canadian soil.

The demand also places Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government under pressure either to initiate the legal and intelligence process required for a listing or explain publicly why it has not done so. It reinforces the Conservatives’ attempt to portray themselves as taking a harder line on Iran, foreign interference and national-security enforcement.

The final decision, however, must be based on Canadian intelligence, evidence and legal assessments rather than partisan pressure or U.S. allegations alone. The immediate political effect of Poilievre’s intervention is therefore to force the government to respond, while criminal responsibility remains a matter for investigators and the courts.