Former Canadian minister Irwin Cotler says a plot to kill Iran was suspected

Canada’s former justice minister has confirmed to the BBC that he was the target of Iran’s latest failed assassination attempt.

Irwin Cotler’s office said he was notified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of an Iranian-sponsored assassination attempt on his life in late October.

Mr Cotler, 84, has long criticized Iran, and previously called for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terrorist organisation.

The BBC has contacted Iran’s foreign ministry for comment.

The alleged plot against Mr. Cotler comes after the United States indicted a man accused of trying to kill President Donald Trump on behalf of Iran.

Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper first reported on the alleged plot against Mr Cotler on Monday morning, citing an independent source. Mr Cotler’s office then confirmed the report to the BBC.

The RCMP told the BBC that it does not release details of its security measures, or confirm who may receive protection.

According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Cotler was notified by the RCMP on October 26 that he was facing an imminent death threat within 48 hours from Iranian diplomats.

The authorities had information about the two suspects in connection with the plot, the newspaper reported, but it is not known whether they were arrested or fled the country. Mr Cotler was advised on Thursday that his threats had been dropped, the newspaper reported.

Mr Cotler, who is Jewish, is said to have been under 24/7 RCMP protection for more than a year since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

He was flagged by Canadian intelligence as a respected figure in Iran, supporting Hamas. Mr Cotler was provided with bullet proof vehicles, heavily armed police and other security measures for his protection.

Mr. Cotler, who is retired, was a member of parliament in Canada from 1999 to 2015. He served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General under the Liberal government of former Prime Minister Paul Martin from 2003 to 2006.

He is an outspoken critic of the regime in Tehran, and he has been before presented a proposal to the Canadian parliament in 2013 we request that the IRGC be sanctioned and designated as a terrorist organization. Canada is officially listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization in June of this year.

Mr Cotler has represented Iran’s political prisoners and has strong ties to Israel.

His daughter, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is an Israeli politician and politician and served as a member of the Israeli parliament.

Earlier this month, US authorities arrested an Afghan native in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate President-elect Trump before he was elected.

Farhad Shakeri, 51, is alleged to have been commissioned to “provide a plan” to kill Trump, according to the indictment filed against him by the US Department of Justice.

Mr Shakeri has not been arrested and is believed to be in Iran.

Two others were arrested in the US on suspicion of plotting to kill an American journalist who was highly critical of Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded to the allegations, saying they are “absolutely baseless.”

In a statement, Mr. Baghaei said similar allegations of attempts to assassinate American presidents were made in the past, which Iran denied and were false. He added that repeating such accusations risks “further complicating the problems between the US and Iran”.