Poilievre says Israel hit on Iran nuclear sites would be ‘gift’ to humanity – National

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Poilievre says ******* hit on Iran nuclear sites would be ‘gift’ to humanity – National

************* Leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday doubled down on his call for ******* to pre-emptively strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying such an act would be “a gift by the ******* state to humanity.”

Poilievre first voiced his support Monday at a commemoration event in Ottawa marking the one-year anniversary of ******’ Oct. 7, 2023, ******* against *******. The ensuing conflict in the Middle East reached a new crescendo last week, when Iran — which supports ****** and other proxy militant groups fighting ******* — fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at *******, which has vowed retaliation.

U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders have warned against striking Iran’s nuclear facilities over fears of further escalating the conflict into an all-out war between two of the region’s most well-armed nations.

Poilievre wouldn’t say if he disagrees with Biden’s assessment when asked by reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday, but reiterated his belief that striking the facilities would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

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“I think the idea of allowing a genocidal, theocratic, unstable dictatorship that is desperate to avoid being overthrown by its own people to develop nuclear weapons is about the most dangerous and irresponsible thing that the world could ever allow,” Poilievre said.

“If ******* were to stop that genocidal, theocratic, unstable government from acquiring nuclear weapons, it would be a gift by the ******* state to humanity.”

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1:49
Iran Supreme Leader defends strike on *******

Poilievre has long taken a hardline approach to Iran and has held it responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, ******* on ******* and overall ********* in the Middle East, saying Tehran wanted to undermine peace talks between ******* and Saudi Arabia.

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During his speech Monday, which followed an address by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Poilievre said Canada must support *******’s right to defend itself against Iran and other regional threats, including “proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations to defund the ********** regime.”

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“******* must be able to prevent Iran from using nuclear weapons, if necessary,” Poilievre said.

A decades-old fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbids the development, proliferation and use of nuclear weapons. But 

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 that stance could change if it was “cornered,” and there are fears within the international community that Iran could still use its nuclear program to produce such a ******* relatively quickly.

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after then-president Donald Trump pulled the ******* States out of an international agreement that limited Iran’s nuclear program in 2018.

U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is running for president, said during an interview that aired on CBS’ 60 Minutes Monday that Iran was the ******* States’ greatest adversary, and that one of her “highest priorities” would be to ensure Iran “never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power.”

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, but there is no concrete evidence and the country has not acknowledged or denied their existence.

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1:55
What Iran’s religious leaders want and its military capability as hostilities grow with *******

Following Iran’s ballistic missile ******* on Oct. 2, Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said their goal was to ensure a wider war between ******* and Iran is avoided.

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Defence Minister Bill Blair told reporters on Monday it would be “appropriate” for ******* to hit Iranian oil production facilities, but did not mention nuclear sites.

“When we talk about (*******’s) ability to defend themselves, certainly that would include missile launch sites, military installations, airfields from which these attacks are being launched, but ******* has a right to defend itself against such attacks and diminish Iran’s capabilities of attacking,” he said.

Biden told reporters the day after Iran’s ******* that “the answer is no” when asked about ******* hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities, and stressed the need for a “proportional” response. He said his administration would be in discussions with ******** counterparts about what that response might look like.

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3:02
Escalating ********* in Middle East claiming lives on all fronts

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen Pat Ryder said Monday that “we continue to discuss the next steps with *******, to include steps that need to be taken to defend *******,” while stressing the need to avoid further escalation. He said he would not “speculate” on a potential strike on nuclear sites.

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Trump, however, said during a campaign event on Friday that Iran’s nuclear program “is the thing you want to hit” and that he disagreed with Biden’s approach.

“The answer should have been, hit the nuclear first and worry about the rest later,” he said, referring to how he felt Biden should have responded to reporters.

Harris said after Iran’s ******* against ******* that the U.S. will “continue to work with our allies and partners to disrupt Iran’s aggressive behavior and hold them accountable.”

Giora Eiland, a retired major general of the ******* Defense Forces, told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired Sunday on The West Block that ******* might not necessarily go after Iran’s nuclear facilities, “which are well-protected.”

But he added: “******* can cause real significant damage to Iran if we ******* other possible targets.”

—with files from Saba Aziz

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