Date: August 24, 2026

Dear Prime Minister,

The Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC), the largest non-governmental non-religious and non-partisan democratic organization representing Iranian Canadians, expresses its concerns regarding the additional sanctions imposed by the Canadian government on Iranian officials, announced on August 14, 2026. According to the announcement, these officials were sanctioned “for their activities that have threatened a critical international waterway, and obstructed navigation rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz, contrary to international law.”

The announcement omits the following critical facts, obscures and inverts the truth, and by doing so does a disservice to the Canadian public and jeopardizes Canada’s national interests:

1) The Strait of Hormuz is not part of international waters. It lies within the territorial waters of its two coastal states, Iran and Oman. This status is affirmed in the 1974 Treaty No. 14085 between Iran and Oman, as well as in the 1993 Act on the Marine Areas of Iran, both of which are registered with the United Nations.

2) The Strait of Hormuz remained open to international navigation prior to February 28, 2026. Canadians reading the announcement have a right to know what has caused the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz since that date.

3) The US and Israel launched an illegal war on Iran on February 28th, without any authorization from the United Nations Security Council and in the midst of ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the US—mirroring the previous round of US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June 2025.

4) The illegal US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28 have resulted in the assassination of Iran’s Head of State, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior officials. These attacks have also killed over 168 students and teachers at an elementary school in Iran’s coastal city of Minab, at least 104 sailors aboard Iran’s Frigate Dena in international waters, and at least 3,519 Iranians, injuring thousands more.

5) The illegal US-Israeli attacks have targeted Iran’s hospitals, universities, schools, religious centres, sports centres, heritage sites, bridges, residential buildings and energy infrastructure.

6) Iran’s right to self-defense against the illegal US-Israeli war of aggression is enshrined in international law. Iran has the right to exercise strategic control over its territorial waters, including the Strait of Hormuz, in order to prevent further harm to its citizens, infrastructure, and national interests.

7) Iran entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US on June 17, 2026. The MoU included, among other provisions, the immediate and permanent termination of US-Israeli military operations on all fronts, the lifting of US sanctions against Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the US and its proxy, Israel, have grossly violated the terms of the MoU ever since.

The ICC finds the erasure of these facts and the inverted portrayal of the victim and aggressors in the relevant statements of the Canadian government, to be immoral and a disservice to the Canadian public, as previously outlined in our March 27 letter.

Iran is an independent power with vast resources and opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. It is situated in a strategic position in the world and has sovereignty over critical land and territorial waters, including the Strait of Hormuz.

Continued hostility towards Iran, the imposition of sanctions, and the shielding or support for US-Israeli aggressions are inconsistent with the principles of international law. Moreover, this approach jeopardizes Canada’s national interests and makes it complicit in US-Israeli war crimes against Iran. It may prompt reciprocal measures from Iran towards Canada in various arenas, including the passage of vessels linked to Canada through the Strait of Hormuz.

Hence, we call upon the Government of Canada to terminate its adversarial policies, actions, and sanctions against Iran.

Yours sincerely,
Iranian Canadian Congress

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