As Iran’s confrontation with Israel and the United States intensifies, the world is watching with bated breath. Missiles have crossed borders. Regional states have absorbed strikes. European governments are calibrating responses. Canada has declared its support for efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Canada is not a central player in this conflict by any stretch. But the crisis offers a series of strategic lessons the Canadian government would be unwise to ignore.

Canada Cannot Be a Safe Haven

It has long been acknowledged by those who follow the Iranian file closely that if the regime ever faltered, many of its senior officials and affiliates would look to Canada as a place of refuge — because they hold property here, have family here, or possess Canadian citizenship.

Canadian authorities have acknowledged Iranian-linked threats on Canadian soil. Former justice minister Irwin Cotler has publicly revealed that he was informed of an Iranian plot against his life. Members of Canada’s Iranian diaspora have also reported intimidation, surveillance and threats directed at them by individuals acting on behalf of the regime — a stark reminder that Tehran’s repression does not stop at its borders.

Iranian officials and affiliates reside in Canada. Canada’s immigration and asylum systems are under extraordinary strain. Screening backlogs, enforcement gaps and weak beneficial ownership transparency create vulnerabilities that hostile actors can exploit.

If Canada is serious about sanctioning the Iranian regime, that seriousness must extend to immigration enforcement, visa revocation, asset tracing and residency review for regime-linked individuals. Immigration policy is national security policy. On the Iran file in particular, a comprehensive restructuring of screening, asylum and enforcement mechanisms is overdue.

2. Protest Mobilization Is Politically Asymmetrical

Western capitals have seen large, viral protests whenever Israel takes military action. Social media amplifies them instantly. Political pressure follows.

But when Iran strikes regional states, funds proxies that massacre civilians, or launches missiles across borders, Western streets are comparatively quiet.

This asymmetry shapes the political cost structure for democratic governments. It influences how conflicts are framed and which actors are treated as the primary........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)