Iranians in Toronto rally against Mark Carney's statement on the three islands

A group of Iranians living in Toronto gathered at Mel Lastman Square in North York on Sunday 1 November 2026 to protest a joint statement by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the United Arab Emirates on Iran's three islands. The rally was organised at short notice, and participants chanted "Mark Carney, shame on you" and "Iran is united and will never be divided".

The joint Canada-UAE statement, released on Tuesday 28 October, called the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb Emirati territory and called for an end to what it described as Iran's "occupation" of the islands. Canada had already backed the UAE's claim in a similar statement during Carney's visit to the Emirates in November 2025.

What the Toronto protesters want

One protester said every inch of this land matters to Iranians, and another stressed that the three islands belong to Iran and are not up for negotiation. Another protester said that if Canada is not for sale, neither is Iran. Participants also stood for the Canadian national anthem.

One protester held a poster showing politicians including Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, with a caption saying Iranians do not want Canadians to lose their country too. During the rally a man who described himself as a supporter of "free Iran and free Palestine" had a brief verbal altercation with participants, but the rally continued without incident.

The three islands and Iran's territorial integrity

Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, and the administration of Abu Musa, returned to Iran in November 1971, under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and at the time of Britain's withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, and Iran's flag was raised over them. In recent years Iranian opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad have repeatedly drawn a clear line between opposing the regime and defending Iran's territorial integrity: in their view, the three islands belong to the Iranian nation, not to the government that rules Iran today.

Iranians in Canada have held large rallies in Toronto in recent months in support of the Dey uprising and Iran's national revolution; this time, the 1 November rally protested the Canadian government's policy on Iranian territory.

Toronto's Iranians said the three islands belong to the Iranian nation and are not up for negotiation.