OTTAWA, Canada — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met with Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi on Aug. 19, discussing efforts to support democratic change in Iran, maintain international pressure on the Islamic Republic and protect Persian and Jewish communities in Canada from threats and intimidation.
Poilievre also invited Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, to visit Canada as the two agreed to continue discussions about international support for the Iranian people.
The meeting was confirmed in a statement from Poilievre and in subsequent reporting by The Canadian Press. It followed remarks by the Conservative leader at a Persian community event in British Columbia days earlier, where he said Iran’s political future must ultimately be decided by Iranians themselves.
“It is not the role of the Canadians or any foreign government to tell Iranians who should run their country, but there should be a free and democratic Iran that is in the hands of the Iranian people,” Poilievre said at the Aug. 15 event, according to a recording provided to The Canadian Press by his office.
Pressure on the Islamic Republic
During the Aug. 19 discussion, Poilievre told Pahlavi about what he described as strong support he had encountered among members of Canada’s Persian community in Vancouver for freedom and democratic change in Iran.
According to the Conservative account of the meeting, Pahlavi expressed appreciation for support from Canadians and for the Conservative position on Iran.
Their discussion included maintaining international pressure on the Islamic Republic and preserving internet access for Iranians, an issue that has become particularly important during periods of unrest when Tehran has restricted communications.
They also discussed using frozen assets belonging to the Iranian regime to support efforts benefiting Iranians rather than relying on Western taxpayers, and the principle that Iranians should determine their country’s political future through free elections and a democratic constitutional process.
Poilievre reiterated Conservative support for comprehensive sanctions against the Islamic Republic and the seizure of regime assets.
He also called for the expulsion of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps agents from Canada and emphasized protecting Persian and Jewish communities from intimidation and threats linked to the Iranian regime.
Canada has listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code since June 2024. Canadian authorities have also imposed extensive sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities.
Canadian security authorities have warned about Iranian transnational repression. The Canadian Press reported that the final report of Canada’s foreign interference inquiry said Iran focuses on transnational repression aimed at preventing criticism of the regime and has relied on criminal groups in some operations.
No Restoration of Diplomatic Relations
Poilievre also reaffirmed the Conservative position against restoring formal diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.
Canada closed its embassy in Tehran and severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012.
The meeting places Poilievre among Canadian political leaders engaging directly with Pahlavi at a time of heightened debate over what role Western democracies should play in supporting political change inside Iran.
Pahlavi has presented himself as a potential figure in a democratic transition following the Islamic Republic, although his role remains contested among Iranians and Iranian opposition movements. Poilievre has stopped short of endorsing him as Iran’s future leader.
That distinction was explicit in Poilievre’s earlier remarks in British Columbia. He said Canada should support a democratic process rather than select Iran’s next government.
The federal government has taken a similar position on choosing an Iranian opposition leader. In a response to a parliamentary petition earlier this year calling on Ottawa to recognize Pahlavi as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people, the government declined to do so.
“Canada does not support any opposition figure in Iran,” Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant wrote, according to The Canadian Press, adding that “the future of Iran must be decided by the Iranian people.”
Pahlavi Accepts Invitation
Pahlavi subsequently accepted Poilievre’s invitation to visit Canada, according to The Canadian Press.
The invitation follows years of concern within Canada’s Iranian diaspora over alleged intimidation and foreign interference connected to Tehran.
Those concerns also intersect with security issues affecting Canada’s Jewish community. Iran has long supported armed organizations committed to Israel’s destruction, while Canadian authorities have taken steps against Iranian-linked security threats and terrorist financing.
For Poilievre, the Aug. 19 meeting tied those issues together under a broader Conservative policy of sustained economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran, opposition to renewed formal diplomatic relations and support for an Iranian-led democratic transition.
Pahlavi’s expected visit to Canada would provide another opportunity for those discussions and could bring renewed attention to Canada’s policy toward both the Islamic Republic and Iran’s opposition movements.
For now, Poilievre has drawn a distinction between supporting Pahlavi’s participation in the opposition movement and determining who should ultimately govern Iran.
That decision, he said, belongs to the Iranian people.
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