An invasion is underway in Canada, but not in the way you think – opinion

Canada faces an evolving national security landscape where traditional geographical protections are diminishing due to new threats from authoritarian states. These threats, including cyberattacks, financial network manipulation, and transnational repression, project power into Canadian society rather than through conventional military means. The Islamic Republic of Iran serves as a key example, utilizing intelligence services, proxies, and cyber capabilities to target opponents abroad and within Canada. The article emphasizes that this blurs the line between foreign affairs and domestic security, making transnational repression an intrusion on sovereignty.

• Canada needs a "network-based national security" approach to identify connections among seemingly separate events, extending investigations beyond immediate actors to their supporting architecture.
• While Canada has taken steps like designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity and establishing a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, effective counterintelligence requires precision to avoid alienating Iranian-Canadian communities, who are often regime opponents.
• The challenge for Canada is to protect its open society from exploitation by hostile states, developing a more discriminating security net rather than a wider one.
• Iran's strategic culture, shaped by asymmetric power, highlights that regimes under pressure may become more dangerous abroad, increasing reliance on intelligence operations and coercion.