CSIS said it believes “Iranian threat-related activities directed against Canada and its allies will likely continue into 2026.”
The agency declined to discuss specific investigations or operational details, citing the need to protect its sources, know-how and methods.
Iranian intelligence services and their proxies have targeted individuals they perceive as threats to the Iranian government, according to CSIS.
“In more than one case, this involved detecting, investigating and neutralizing potentially lethal threats against individuals in Canada,” the agency said.
He added that he is working with foreign partners and domestic law enforcement to counter such activities and is engaging communities across Canada to build resilience against potential threats.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also told Iran International that it was aware of reports and allegations regarding possible foreign involvement in the incidents, but declined to attribute them to Iran or any other state while investigations are ongoing.
“As these matters remain under investigation, the RCMP is unable to comment on specific intelligence, investigative findings or potential attribution,” the force said.
The RCMP said it is aware of foreign interference activities in Canada involving several states, including Iran, and takes allegations of foreign interference, transnational repression and criminal activities linked to foreign states seriously.
The RCMP said it works with Canadian and international partners through intelligence sharing, threat assessments, coordinated investigations and law enforcement actions.
Firearms investigations
These responses come amid investigations into alleged gun sales rings operating in the Greater Toronto Area.
Toronto police say youths are being recruited through encrypted messaging apps to carry out attacks for money, while investigators are still working to determine who is directing and financing the violence.
Police have identified a recurring pattern in some attacks involving stolen vehicles, encrypted messaging apps and gunmen recording shootings on their phones.
Police say recruits must record attacks as proof in order to receive payment.
Toronto police said ballistics evidence linked two firearms seized during the investigation to numerous shootings in the Greater Toronto Area, including the attack on the U.S. consulate.
Iran International previously reported in June that an armed assailant fired 17 shots at a Toronto sports center owned by Iranian-Canadian opposition activist Salar Gholami, hours after the assassination of senior Iranian officials in Tehran.
The facility has served as a gathering place for opponents of the Islamic Republic and a hub for anti-regime protests.
Surveillance footage captured an attacker whose physical profile was described in the report as matching that of young individuals believed to have been recruited in other shootings.
The attack has not been publicly established as part of the same criminal network involved in other shootings under investigation in Toronto.
Conservatives call for action
Conservative Party Leader and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre has warned that foreign-backed networks are exploiting criminal groups to carry out attacks in Canada.
“The Iranian terrorist regime is suspected of financing shootings on Canadian soil. Synagogues, a school, businesses and the American consulate are targeted. Canadian Jews and Iranian dissidents are terrorized,” Poilievre said.
He called on the federal government to identify and expel members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards illegally present in Canada.
Canada and more than two dozen other countries said earlier this month they condemned Iran’s use of violent attacks, including deadly plots, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and other hostile activities, and pledged to identify, investigate and disrupt such activities.
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