Tehran Blasts Canada for Silence Over Trump’s Threat to Annihilate Iran

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for failing to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to “annihilate” the Islamic republic. Baqaei accused Carney of appeasing Washington rather than condemning the remarks.

In a post on X, Baqaei argued that Carney had reframed an explicit threat against Iran as an example of wartime rhetoric. His criticism focused on Carney's response to comments Trump made during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Carney had reportedly described Iran as “one of the greatest threats in the current world.” He also claimed that the country poses an “existential threat to Israel and its allies.”

When asked about Trump's comments during the U.S. president's speech, Carney said: “Well, there is a war underway, and he's speaking the language of war.” Baqaei rejected that characterization and accused the Canadian leader of failing to confront Washington's approach.

Baqaei said Carney, “instead of condemning U.S. blatant aggression and warmongering, chose to appease Washington.” The Iranian spokesperson then delivered a broader warning about what he presented as the risks of aligning with American power.

“Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the shelter of illusion & hypocrisy endure forever. A day will surely dawn when those who sought refuge in the long shadow of American bullying—believing that mimicking the language of the mighty could shield them from the claws of power—will stand bare before the truth.”

Trump had told the United Nations General Assembly that he faced a consequential choice involving Iran. He said he had a “big decision to make” on whether to reach a deal with the country or “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian separately blamed the U.S. and Israel for fueling instability around the world. He also accused the two countries of carrying out illegal attacks against Iranian civilians and infrastructure.

At the same time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined three possible goals for the Trump administration's strategy toward Iran. Speaking to Fox News, Bessent said the desired outcome “can be one of three states.”

The first possibility, according to Bessent, is that members of the Iranian regime turn “on each other... not impossible.” His second scenario was that “we get some kind of uprising from the Iranian people.”

The third goal concerned the possibility of renewed negotiations with Tehran. Bessent said the administration could seek to “get the Iranians, if they want to make a deal, to stick to the deal.”

Bessent also described the extent of the economic pressure being applied against Iran. He said the campaign was “squeezing the Iranians like they have never seen,” while pointing to a steep decline in international air traffic from the country.

External flights from Iran have fallen by 80% to 90%, according to Bessent. Referring to Iranian officials attending the United Nations, he added: “I'm not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are going to get home.”

On Tuesday, Bessent had threatened to “shut down” every Iranian airline from as soon as Wednesday. He told CNBC: “How do we do that? That if they land, you cannot provide them with fuel. You cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.”

The comments from Baqaei, Trump, Carney and Bessent placed diplomatic threats, economic pressure and aviation restrictions at the center of the confrontation. Tehran's criticism specifically targeted Canada's response, with Baqaei accusing Carney of treating Trump's language as ordinary rhetoric during a war.

Carney's description of Iran as a major global threat stood in sharp contrast to Baqaei's account of U.S. aggression and Canadian appeasement. Meanwhile, Bessent's remarks detailed several outcomes Washington is pursuing and the economic tools it is prepared to use against Iran.