12 Toronto Shootings Linked to Iranian Financing

A CBC News investigation identified 12 politically motivated gun-for-hire shootings in the Greater Toronto Area that appear to have been financed by the Iranian government. The attacks occurred between February 28 and March 2026, shortly after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran and assassinating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The targets included synagogues, a school, and businesses in the region. The U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto was also struck. In none of the incidents was anyone injured. The attacks followed a consistent pattern: suspects arrived in stolen vehicles during the early morning hours and emptied handguns into building entranceways. In many cases, the shooters or their accomplices filmed the events on mobile phones.

Toronto Police, the RCMP, and CSIS are investigating the role of a foreign power. Chief Superintendent Joe Matthews, who oversees the Toronto Police Service inquiry, stated that the agency has heard information suggesting foreign actors are involved. "We are investigating every angle," Matthews said. He noted that while the financiers and the street-level perpetrators are not directly connected, the police are working to bridge that gap.

Court files obtained by CBC News reveal that most of the accused are young, with ages ranging from 15 to their early 20s. Several suspects face charges for multiple attacks. Ballistic testing confirmed that the same firearms used to strike Jewish-owned businesses were also used in attacks on nearby addresses associated with waste management company Green For Life (GFL). This crossover suggests the same hired guns carried out both the political and non-political hits.

The FBI arrested Mohammad Baqer al-Saadi in May, alleging he is a senior member of a militia group controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. His indictment in New York State claims he helped coordinate at least 18 attacks in Europe and two in Canada, including the March 2026 shooting at the U.S. Consulate. In June, Canada and 20 other nations issued a joint statement condemning Iran's "lethal plotting and other malign actions." The statement acknowledged that the relationship between Iranian security services and local criminal groups is long standing.

Rabbi Daniel Korobkin of the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue, which was attacked in early March, said the congregation refuses to be intimidated. "I don't think it really makes a difference whether the person who hates us is pulling the trigger, or paying a person to pull the trigger," Korobkin said. The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment regarding its alleged involvement in the Toronto attacks.

Security analyst Keir Giles of Chatham House noted that these attacks mirror tactics Russia has used in Europe since its invasion of Ukraine. He said the technique of using encrypted apps to recruit low-cost operatives has become vastly easier to spread. The Canadian government continues to monitor the situation as arrests and charges proceed against the alleged trigger men.