Tehran Slams Canada’s ‘Appeasement’ Over Trump’s Iran ‘Annihilation’ Threat

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, has launched a scathing critique against Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing him of failing to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's ominous threats to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic.

In a pointed post on X (formerly Twitter), Baqaei asserted that Carney chose to "appease Washington" by downplaying Trump's threat of destruction, instead characterizing it as merely "speaking the language of war."

This diplomatic tension follows reports from earlier in the week where Carney allegedly declared Iran "one of the greatest threats in the current world," further claiming it poses an "existential threat to Israel and its allies." When pressed on Trump's remarks during his address at the United Nations General Assembly, Carney reportedly commented, "Well, there is a war underway, and he's speaking the language of war."

Baqaei lambasted Carney, stating, "instead of condemning U.S. blatant aggression and warmongering, [he] chose to appease Washington."

The Iranian spokesperson added a stark warning: "Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the shelter of illusion & hypocrisy endure forever. A day will surely dawn when those who sought refuge in the long shadow of American bullying—believing that mimicking the language of the mighty could shield them from the claws of power—will stand bare before the truth."

During his address at the UNGA, President Trump had presented a grim ultimatum, declaring he had a "big decision to make" regarding Iran: either forge a deal or "annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly."

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his own remarks, blamed both the U.S. and Israel for fueling global instability. He further accused them of orchestrating "illegal attacks" against Iran's civilian population and critical infrastructure.

Bessent Outlines Iran Strategy

In a separate but related development, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent articulated the Trump administration's strategic objectives concerning Iran.

Speaking to Fox News, Bessent outlined three potential outcomes for Iran. The first scenario, he suggested, involves the Iranian regime turning "on each other... not impossible." The second possibility is "some kind of uprising from the Iranian people," and the final objective is to ensure that if Iranians "want to make a deal, to stick to the deal."

Bessent emphasized the unprecedented economic pressure exerted on Iran, stating it was "squeezing the Iranians like they have never seen."

He noted a dramatic decline of 80% to 90% in external flights from Iran, quipping, "I'm not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are going to get home."

Just prior, Bessent had threatened to "shut down" all Iranian airlines, effective almost immediately. He detailed the punitive measures, telling CNBC, "How do we do that? That if they land, you cannot provide them with fuel. You cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system."