A flag adorns the ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs and retaliatory measures by Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Aug. 24, 2026.
Carlos Osorio | Reuters
Iran hit out at Canada for supporting U.S. actions in the Strait of Hormuz, calling Ottawa’s moves “a display of strategic confusion and submission to intimidation.”
In a post on X, Tehran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Canada chose to “appease” the U.S. “on the very day the U.S. president, in blatant contempt for Canada’s sovereignty and independence, portrayed the entire country as part of the United States.”
Baghaei was referring to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday stateside, which showed the U.S.’ territory covering Canada, Greenland and Iceland.
In his second term, Trump has repeatedly made comments about making Canada the 51st state of the U.S. and annexing Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Baghaei’s comments came after Canada condemned Iran’s “destabilizing actions” in the Middle East, saying that it would work with partners to maintain significant pressure on Iran, including via sanctions and support for efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that were led by the U.S., France and the U.K.
“Canada cannot credibly present itself as a champion of ‘peace and security,’ ‘freedom of navigation,’ and ‘international law’ while simultaneously backing U.S. military aggression and Washington’s illegal, interventionist actions in our region,” Baghaei said.
“This is neither ‘diplomacy’ nor ‘responsible statecraft’. It is… a choice that will not even shield Canada itself from American bullying and aggression,” Baghaei said.
He questioned why Ottawa would choose to support Washington after experiencing what he called “American bad faith and knowing that U.S. signatures are ‘written in pencil.'”
Trade talks between Ottawa and Washington collapsed last month, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying that the U.S. demands had gone too far. “They asked too much and offered too little,” he said.
This triggered tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods, with Canada also imposing “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory tariffs that will take effect at 12.01 a.m. ET Tuesday.
Iran has also taken aim at other U.S. allies, such as South Korea. Baghaei on Monday warned Seoul against potential military involvement and support for U.S. “aggression,” posting on X in Korean.
South Korea’s foreign ministry reportedly said over the weekend that it was in “close communication with relevant countries to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East as soon as possible.”
Last week, Seoul said it was reviewing options, including military measures to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.
“Any other country maintaining a military presence or participating in [U.S.] operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz can only be regarded as directly supporting the perpetrators of the aggression, and it will lead to serious consequences,” Baghaei posted.
