Poilievre urges listing Kata'ib Hezbollah

On August 2, 2026, Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre publicly called on the federal government to designate Kata ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, as a terrorist entity under Canada's Criminal Code. The demand follows U.S. legal filings alleging that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an alleged senior commander of Kata ib Hezbollah and operative of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), plotted nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and North America, including two in Canada: a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in March 2026 and an attack on a Canadian synagogue. Poilievre addressed letters to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Prime Minister Mark Carney, arguing that listing the group would criminalize dealings with it, enable asset seizures, and strengthen border controls. He also demanded disclosure of individuals in Canada linked to the Iranian regime and its proxies. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomed the call, noting it had urged the government to take this step in May. The Conservative Party launched a public petition supporting the designation. The group is already listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, and Canada designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity in 2024.