Canadian opposition chief rules out talks with Tehran 'liars'

Canada’s main opposition leader Pierre Poilievre ruled out ever negotiating with Tehran, telling Iran International that the Islamic Republic cannot be trusted.

"I'm not interested in negotiating with the Islamic Republic," said Poilievre. "I don't trust them. I think they are liars."

The federal Conservative leader was on the campaign trail Thursday in Surrey, British Columbia addressing what he called “another attack by President Trump” on the Canadian economy.

His comments followed the US President’s announcement of additional tariffs on Canadian goods.

Poilievre is a frontrunner in the upcoming federal election to unseat current Prime Minister Mark Carney. The election is set to take place next month as a trade dispute sparked by Trump's tariffs has upended Canada's close alliance with the superpower to its south.

Despite similarities in their hardline stance against Iran, Poilievre and Trump appear to diverge significantly in their approaches.

Trump recently sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging a nuclear deal. The outreach came after Washington imposed harsh new sanctions as part of the president's renewed “maximum pressure” campaign.

Trump’s letter reportedly laid out a deadline of two months to begin negotiations on the nuclear issue, with the warning that the alternative to a nuclear deal was a military attack. Iran responded by saying they are open to indirect talks but will not engage directly amid threats.

“I believe they (Iran) will promise anything you want them to get their oil and gas back on the world market,” Poilievre told Iran International. “Then they will use all the revenues from those sales to fund terrorism and attempt to obliterate our values.”

While Poilievre did not name Trump in his remarks, it was evident that he would not follow his US counterpart's Iran policy.

Poilievre dismissed the prospect of negotiating with Iran, arguing the theocracy would make promises to secure sanctions relief only to funnel the gains into funding terrorism.

“I think it's a terrible regime," said Poilievre. "It's the most dangerous sponsor of terror anywhere in the world."

The Conservative leader went on to accuse Iran’s government of exploiting Canada as a haven for their agents, threatening the lives of anyone they perceive as a critic. He vowed to deport any non-citizen or non-permanent resident with ties to the Islamic Republic.

In October 2024, Poilievre, in response to a reporter's question, said potential preemptive Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities would be a "gift to humanity."