Iran's Regime Represents a Clear and Present Danger to Canadian Security
Michael Bonner, writing for the National Post, delivers a stark warning that the repressive and murderous Islamic Republic of Iran constitutes a potent threat to Canada. Many of the regime's officials are already present within Canadian borders, making this danger immediate and tangible. Canadians must not underestimate this reality as the Iranian government faces unprecedented internal and external pressures.
The Inevitable Collapse of a Failing Regime
While the exact timing and method remain uncertain, the rule of Shiite clerics and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appears destined for collapse. Recent uprisings and brutal government responses suggest several possible outcomes, including a military junta emerging from conventional armed forces or, more alarmingly, a coup by the ideological Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or Basij militia. Regardless of the mechanism, this regime's days are numbered.
The Islamic Republic has failed spectacularly by its own standards. No entity has done more to embarrass and discredit political Islam than Ayatollah Khomeini and his successors. Their leadership has transformed one of the world's great civilizations into what resembles a third-world resistance movement controlled by sadists.
From Peaceful Revolution to Violent Oppression
The 1979 Iranian Revolution began as one of the few modern unarmed uprisings, featuring broad coalitions of religious clerics, bazaar merchants, students, intellectuals, leftists, and ordinary citizens. Inspired by smuggled cassette tapes with messages of spiritual renewal, the movement initially relied on violent rhetoric rather than physical force.
However, victory quickly turned to oppression. Moderates and liberals were sidelined, and crackdowns on dissent proved harsher than anything under the previous regime. Forty-seven years later, conditions have deteriorated further, with the regime's primary goal seemingly focused on destroying Western culture, power, and influence—embodied by the persistent "Death to America" slogan.
Multiple Crises Converge on Tehran
The Iranian regime currently faces a perfect storm of interlocking crises, any one of which could prove fatal. Economic disaster looms with hyperinflation, rampant corruption, crippling sanctions, frozen foreign assets, and declining oil revenues. Military misadventures, including proxy wars and confrontations with Israel, have drained resources without yielding strategic gains.
Regional alliances with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Assad regime lie in ruins, diminishing Iran's influence. Environmental mismanagement has nearly destroyed the agricultural sector through water resource depletion, creating a vicious cycle of food insecurity, import dependence, and accelerating inflation.
Canadian Implications and Responsibilities
The Iranian people deserve liberation from these torments, and Canadians of goodwill can welcome the regime's potential collapse for compassionate reasons alone. However, Bonner emphasizes that Canadians must recognize the Islamic Republic has always represented a direct threat to Canada. With regime officials already present within our borders, this danger requires serious attention and appropriate security measures.
As the regime's stability weakens, Canada must remain vigilant about potential spillover effects and ensure our national security apparatus is prepared for any contingencies arising from Iran's internal turmoil.
