The Royal Canadian Mounted Police thwarted an Iranian plot to assassinate former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler, a noted Jewish human-rights advocate who has strongly criticized the Middle Eastern nation's regime.
The Globe and Mail, quoting an unnamed source Tuesday, reported that the RCMP informed Cotler on Oct. 26 that he was under the threat of assassination within 48 hours by agents of Iran.
Law enforcement knew about two suspects, but it is not known if they were arrested or if they left the country, the source said.
The source told the newspaper that Cotler, 84, was advised last week that the threat he had faced was significantly lowered.
The RCMP has had Cotler under protection since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) informed that he was in danger from Iran. His protection includes armed officers, bulletproof vehicles, and more.
The RCMP, in a statement Monday, said it could not comment due to security reasons.
"For the safety of our members, those we protect, and to ensure the integrity of our operations, the RCMP does not disclose details about its protective measures or confirm individuals who may receive protection. Protective measures are based on ongoing threat and risk assessments," RCMP spokesperson Robin Percival said.
Cotler has been targeted by Iran since 2008, when he called to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. In June, Canada and the U.S. jointly declared the IRGC as a terrorist group, with Ottawa severing diplomatic ties with Iran over 10 years ago.
Cotler, a strong supporter of Israel, is the international chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He also served from 2020-23 as Canada's first special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism.
The Globe and Mail source also said that the FBI has been in touch with Cotler about the unsealing of a New York indictment concerning an Iranian murder-for-hire operation, and said the FBI told him that his name came up in its investigation.
Recent indictments have also revealed that Iran was involved in assassination plots against President-elect Donald Trump. According to U.S. authorities, the IRGC's Quds Force has been targeting critics for years and is now outsourcing assassination attempts.
Meanwhile, the Canadian House of Commons on Monday condemned the alleged plot to kill Cotler while affirming the country's support for him, The Globe and Mail reported.
Federal cabinet ministers, opposition MPs, and Canadian Jewish organizations also said they are concerned about Cotler's safety.
Senior Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in Quebec, where Cotler lives, said it must be "very difficult" for the former minister and his family and friends to hear about the alleged plot.
Defense Minister Bill Blair, a former Toronto chief of police in Toronto, said security agencies are asking that ministers refrain from talking about the matter.
But Deputy Conservative Party leader Melissa Lantsman slammed Canada's Liberal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for delays in declaring the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
"Trudeau allowed Iran's IRGC [to] operate freely in Canada for years, continuously resisting calls to ban it," Lantsman said. "The IRGC used that time to set up the infrastructure that is being used today — they planned to assassinate a former AG."