Your World Tonight - No end in sight for Middle East war, the IRGC in Canada, GLP-1 drug applications, and more

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

The bombing campaign in Iran has drawn in other countries. The U.S. and Israel are targeting Iran, but nations including UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are coming under fire from Tehran. And Lebanon’s Hezbollah is also playing a role — firing rockets at Israel, and drawing Israeli airstrikes. U.S. president Donald Trump says operations are likely to last four or five weeks. But, he hasn’t ruled out hostilities lasting “far longer.”We have reports from the region, with correspondents on the ground in Amman, Jerusalem, and Washington.And: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is a designated terrorist organization in Canada. So why do so many Iranians here say they are being threatened by its members?Also: As of January, Ozempic is no longer protected by an exclusivity patent in Canada. That means other companies can make generics here. We look at how that process is going.Plus: Public service cuts in Nova Scotia, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. We projected four to five weeks. We have capability to go far longer than that. This is not Iraq. This is not endless. The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused. U.S. President Donald Trump and his defense secretary trying to firm up timelines and objectives for a war with Iran underway, but not quite understood as the fighting spreads and the casualties mount.

If they get nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, ballistic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, they will threaten all of humanity. In Lebanon and Israel, Qatar and Kuwait, missile and drone strikes have all of the Middle East on high alert. American soldiers have been killed. Civilians hiding in bomb shelters in Israel are dead, along with hundreds in Iran. It is a direct assault on the foundations of international law. As long as aggression continues, Iran will defend itself decisively and without hesitation. As Iranian leaders vow to keep fighting back, a battleground has also been taking shape in this country, people loyal to the regime clashing with those who oppose it. We have a memory of them.

We're moving here for freedom, for some place for be seen. Safe, don't open your gauge for Islamic Republic. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Monday, March 2nd, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast, we have full coverage of the United States and Israel's war with Iran, with reporters across the Middle East and around the world. We begin with the CBC's Paul Hunter in Washington,

with the U.S. justification for war, and where the conflict could be heading next. Let me provide a brief update on Operation Epic Fury. From the U.S. President today, his view on the question so many Americans are asking, what is the goal in Iran? Among the objectives, said Trump in the White House, to destroy Iran's missile capabilities and its Navy, and to prevent Iran from ever having a nuclear weapon. This posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas.

Just months after, Trump attacked Iran's nuclear capabilities, obliterating them, he said at the time. Trump now says Iran ignored orders not to rebuild. As for how long this assault will last, Trump's first guess seems already growing. We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. This is not Iraq. This is not endless. But even as Pentagon Chief Pete Hexeth downplayed those who say this could last

years, he forcefully pushed back on critics of the assault. We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult. This as fresh video from Kuwait shows what appears to be a U.S. fighter jet falling from the sky. The U.S. says three of its jets were inadvertently fired upon by Kuwait. air defenses today, the U.S. crews parachuting to safety separately. Since the U.S. assault began, the U.S. now saying six of its troops have been killed. On that, said Hexeth,

as the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be. It's not going to end well for American interests. Senior Democrat lawmaker Hakeem Jeffries slamming Trump for all of it. On a day, a new poll suggests nearly six in ten Americans oppose the action in Iran. This is the same person who said he is coming back to the presidency to get America out of endless wars, and now he has just gotten us into a potential endless war in the Middle East of all places. And all of that, as Trump's senior advisors are on Capitol Hill for two days of briefings on Iran for Republicans and Democrats. Part of the message from Secretary of State Mark

Marco Rubio, the U.S. assault is really just getting started. I'm not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now. As senior Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer later put it for reporters, this is Trump's war. This is a war of choice. He has no strategy. He has no end game. Schumer then threw up his hands and walked away from the microphones. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. The conflict is worsening and widening.

The U.S. and Israel hammered Iran with more strikes. Iran hit back at targets across the region. The casualties are believed to be in the hundreds. Now, as a new front opens with Hezbollah in Lebanon, there are fears the conflict is about to take an even bloodier turn. Senior international correspondent Margaret Evans is in Amman, Jordan. With each passing day in this conflict, The proverbial fog of war expands.

That's the sound of an Israeliirstrike against the Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel's response to the militant Shia group's retaliatory attacks against Israel over the death of Iran's supreme leader. Lebanese officials say the Israeli strikes have killed more than 50 people. The Israeli military, meanwhile, says it's calling up more soldiers, spokesman General Effie Deffron. We've mobilized close to 100,000 reservists, he's saying, to defend the northern border. It is one more brushfire with the potential to spread.

Israel and the United States are continuing the heavy airstrikes in Iran that they say will help put an end to a corrupt and evil regime. Iran's Red Crescent says more than 500 people have been killed so far. War doesn't discriminate. And some Iranians inside the country say those outside are too quick to celebrate a freedom far from being delivered. The Iranian writer Mariam Manu Chakri posted a message on social media. I'm surprised by some Iranians abroad, she wrote. Yes, we are afraid of the Mullahs, but we're also afraid.

of bombs. Fear is not restricted to Iran or to Israel, where Iranian missiles continue to slip through defenses. Nineteen people were injured when a missile hit the desert city of Bersheba earlier today. Fears that the conflict between Israel and the United States and Iran will spread have been amplified by Iranian attacks against Middle Eastern countries hosting U.S. military. military bases. Here in Amman, the sound of Jordanian warplanes patrolling the skies is a near constant. Twenty-four-year-old Salman Abu Rezek says he's furious with Iran. They bomb literally the region. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan as well. Why? You know? In the hopes, say some analysts of encouraging those countries to pressure Washington to end the war

sooner. Gallup Dallay is with the London-based think tank Chatham House. Iran thinks that is the only strategy that it can put enough pressure on Trump particularly to change the course of the action. So far, the U.S. President doesn't seem inclined to do so. Margaret Evans, CBC News, Amman. The economic implications of this war are still not clear. Iran has warned oil shippers to stay away from the strait of Hormuz. The military is threatening to attack any ships that try to pass through.

More than 20% of the world's oil moves through there. So far, market reaction has been fairly muted as investors wait to see how long the conflict will last. In Tehran's counter-attacks against Israel over the weekend, at least nine people were killed, more than 40 injured. The CBC's Crystal Gamans Singh is in Jerusalem, tonight. Crystal, it's been a deadly few days for people there. How are Israelis coping? Well, the state of emergency is in effect. So that means kids aren't in school. Many shops are

closed. The restaurants that are open can't have people sitting inside. And people have been told not to assume they're safe because of the air defense systems in Israel. I spoke with a rescue worker from the organization Zaka. They were at the deadly missile strike site in Bet Shemish. Marnix van Eide was one of the very first people to arrive at that scene on Sunday and he described those first moments to me. A lot of dust but also fire. There were also cars parked over here which got into fire and buildings that were collapsed.

It was with people running out of their buildings, out of the rubble was one big chaos. So one of the buildings destroyed, was a shelter, another, a synagogue. He says, given the conflicts in the past few years, people are in survival mode, adding there is a sense of fear knowing that the shelters may not be enough. They really just can't withstand a direct missile strike. What is the message coming from the government of Israel? Leaders are telling people to stay strong and remember what they're fighting for. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Betchamish site, and he talked again about

having to end the existential threat posed by Iran. They chant death to Israel, death to America. That's their ultimate target. But I said that they would also target those in between, that they would target Europe. They did. And if this regime, this terrorist regime of the kind we've never seen in the world, If they get nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, ballistic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, they will threaten all of humanity. The leader of the opposition was also at that strike location today and made a point of saying that the prime minister has his support, calling it a just war against a vicious enemy.

Nair Lapid also said that he hopes the war will allow the people of Iran to take control and create a better fight. future for themselves, but he didn't say how they would be able to rise up against the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Regards or if they would be offered any help to do so, Susan. Thank you, Crystal. You're welcome. The CBC's Crystal Gamanscing in Jerusalem. Coming right up, far from the war zone, Iranian Canadians are worried they're in danger for opposing the regime.

Also, Nova Scotia's premier facing pressure over a controversial public service cuts, and later we'll have this story. Generic versions of OZemPEC will soon be coming to Canada, and a Canadian company is going all in, pushing to make the popular drug on Canadian soil. Well, I think there's been a groundswell of interest and support from across the country to support local brands and local companies. I'm Julia Wong in Edmonton. What this project says about bolstering Canada's drug manufacturing capability. I'll have that story coming up on Your World Tonight. The Prime Minister says Canada supports the U.S. actions to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

Today, Foreign Minister Anita Anand says Canada was not notified or involved and stressed that Ottawa prefers a diplomatic solution. She says she's been speaking with her counterparts in the Middle East and G7. The conversations that I've had in that vein have yielded different. responses. Some countries believe that a diplomatic solution is not possible at this time. Others want to work as quickly as possible to ensure diplomacy becomes the next phase of this horrific situation. In Canada, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is designated a terrorist entity, But that's cold comfort to many Canadians who fled the regime.

They say IRGC members are living among them, and the Canadian government isn't doing enough to keep the community safe. Jennifer Yun has that story. Surrounded by broken glass, Solar Golami points to the bullet holes in his Toronto area gym. 17 shots, he says, fired at the business early Sunday. Police are still investigating why the gym was targeted, but Golami thinks he knows. His business is a gathering place for those opposed to the Iranian regime.

We have one enemy and is Islamic Republic. Golami wants Canada to do more, to crack down on those loyal to the regime in Canada. Don't open your gauge for Islamic Republic. We have a memory of them. We're moving here for freedom, for some place to be safe. Members of the diaspora have been warning about Iranian actors on Canadian soil for years now.

That fear has escalated as the U.S. and Israel continue to attack Iran. It has targeted Canadians over the years. Ward Elcock, Canada's former top spy, says that fear is well-founded. The Iranian regime has long gone after dissidents in Canada. Over the last year, CESIS says it's detected and disrupted at least one deadly threat from Iran on individuals in Canada. But Elkox says identifying agents of the Iranian government is easier said than that. identifying them can take time and effort and cooperation with the community.

But members of the community say they're doing more than cooperating, like Moshe Shariari, a Vancouver-based lawyer who sifts through tips on potential members of the Islamic regime in Canada, verifies them, and shares them with authorities. It's the RCMP's job to use the criminal law sections that deal with terrorist organizations to go after this. people. Shariari says she presented one case to police including a copy of the person's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's card, which is listed as a terrorist entity in Canada. Shariari says the police called her back thanking her for the report, but that they couldn't do much. Unless we can show that this individual is in an act of terrorism right now in Canada,

they are not going to do anything. Lawyer and human rights activist Kave Shuruz fears Canada could become a safe haven for senior Iranian officials in the future. They've brought their families here, they've parked their money here and invested in this country. Shuru says if the Iranian regime crumbles, Canada must be vigilant. If senior officials come here, they must face justice. Jennifer Yun, CBC News, Toronto. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed what he's calling a landmark new partnership in India.

includes multi-million dollar deals and a commitment to a free trade agreement by the end of the year. Carney is looking to move past a rough patch in the relationship between the two countries, but six in Canada say it's too much too soon. J.P. Tasker reports. There has been more engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in more than two decades combined. Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, sign a flurry of deals on everything from artificial intelligence and farm products to critical minerals and defense. This is not merely the renewal of a relationship. It is the expansion of a valued partnership with new ambition, focus, and foresight. Carney says what's been negotiated heralds a new era of bilateral relations with a country that has been something of a

pariah in Ottawa in recent years. After allegations, Indian agents were involved in the murder of a Canadian sick in BC. With this partnership, we will advance, we will not stop. Despite those concerns, Carney says the two countries have agreed to finalize a free trade agreement by the end of the year. Part of a push to double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030. unlocking the full potential of economic cooperation is our priority. I credit my friend Prime Minister Carney, Modi said. Among the most consequential developments, a deal on uranium. India will buy some $3 billion worth of the nuclear fuel source over the next 10 years.

That's a boon for Saskatchewan, which holds one of the world's largest reserves. Premier Scott Moe was in the room when the deal was finalized. It's going to be good for the electricity outbuilded here in India as well as good for the economy and good for in particular northern Saskatchewan and Canada. Goldie Hider is the president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada. He says a free trade deal could mean billions of dollars to the Canadian economy at a time when it needs it most. You're in a country that is $4 trillion worth of GDP is the third largest economy in the world. And in some ways it's just getting started.

Carney still faces questions about alleged Indian interference at home, but they won't be answered today. He canceled a planned press conference with traveling reporters. Sick activists facing violence and extortion say the threats are real, and they're blasting Carney for signing deals with Modi, one calling it a form of appeasement, and saying the government is putting dollars and cents before safety. JP Tasker, CBC News, Delhi.

This is Your World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, Follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. British Columbia says it's time to stop changing the time. The province is adopting permanent year-round daylight saving time. Premier David A.B. says the move reflects what a majority of British Columbians want. This decision isn't just about clocks. It's about quality of life for British

Colombians. That means an extra hour of sunshine for families. and moving our clocks to keep the sun up when the majority of the things that we do at home and in our lives take place. Clocks will spring forward by an hour on March 8th. That will be the final time change in BC. Saskatchewan and Yukon already maintain one time year-round. It was a rough reception for Nova Scotia's premier. Tim Houston was booed as he took the stage at a gala celebrating African heritage this weekend,

then booed throughout his speech. Houston has tabled a budget that looks to cut a thousand jobs and millions of dollars in grants, including money to help the province's black community. Kayla Hounsel explains. It was not a warm welcome. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston took the stage at a gala meant to celebrate African heritage,

just five days after his government announced cuts to programs that would directly affect the community. As a government, as a government, we're being committed to supporting injuries and over the U.S.S. Hundreds in attendance stood with their fists held in the air, a symbol known as the Black Power Salute.

It's like, man, are you serious? Ryan Summers is a member of the African Nova Scotia community and was there to DJ the event. I kind of figured that would happen. I mean, how would it not? Like, you know, with the cuts and all of that, It's still fresh. Houston's progressive conservatives tabled a budget last week that includes a deficit of $1.2 billion.

It contains $130 million in cuts to grants across a variety of government departments. Community members say they're losing summer programs for African Nova Scotian youth, health programs, and scholarships. Lisa Bland is with the Council on African-Canadian education. Eliminating those funds makes it very difficult for a black person. learner who is coming from a community where there's intergenerational poverty impacting decisions on schooling. Houston's progressive conservatives were re-elected to a second term in November 2024 with a super majority, which means they hold two-thirds of the seats in the Nova

Scotia legislature. The official opposition, NDP, says he is increasingly unwilling to answer questions about of anything. We should never be underestimated. NDPMLA Susie Hansen is also a member of the community. She says the government made the cuts without consultation. There are always going to be some types of frustrations because these are things that they had no idea was coming. Houston was asked about the reception he received at the gala

while at a mining conference in Toronto today. It's important that people have a mechanism to respond. We'll listen to that and we'll try to work with people and we'll understand the concerns and go from there. African Nova Scotians say the gala was meant to celebrate their culture and accomplishments, but that includes activism, and they're hoping Houston will reverse course. Kayla Hounsel, CBC News, Halifax. The race to bring a generic version of OZMPIC to Canada is heating up.

The weight loss drug is one of the hottest prescription medications in the world, and pharmaceutical companies are lining up to make a cheaper alternative domestically. Julia Wong explains. You can say we're betting everything on this one drug. David Soushan is going all in on one of the most popular prescription drugs in Canada. Sameaglutide, more commonly known by the brand name Ozempic. The Canadian patent on the weight loss drug expired paving the way for generic versions to enter the market. Sushan is the CEO of Vimy Pharma, a Canadian-owned and based pharmaceutical company.

It wants to manufacture a generic Ozempic for Canadians made by Canadians. And we thought there was an opportunity to do more to provide them with medicine at an even lower price at about 35% of the brand price. He and Vimy former president, Ferris Smith, bring unique perspective. The pair has a combined 30 plus years of experience from working at Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug company behind OZembek. Smith says their company is leaning into bi-Canadian sentiment. Well, I think there's been a groundswell of interest and support from across the country to support local brands. and local companies. Vimy Pharma hopes that government-backed not-for-profit

can help them get the drug to market. Applied pharmaceutical innovation, or API, runs a new critical medicines manufacturing facility in Edmonton, which was announced on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was looking for commercial products to make. Vimy would be its first. It's a total game changer for us to be involved in this. The pandemic showed how fragile supply chains can be,

and there is an advantage to domestic. manufactured drugs, argues ABI CEO Andrew McIsaac. We look at the geopolitical conditions that we're in right now, where we've got a whole bunch of tariffs that are being thrown around around the world. It's an area where if you don't have access to these medicines, your health systems are going to be in big trouble. Experts say while Canada has some drug manufacturing capabilities, more is better. Michael Law is a drug policy expert at the University of Calgary.

He says ultimately it's Canadians who benefit. We've seen a lot of drug shortages in Canada and around the globe over the last five or ten years. And Canadian manufacturers are often cited as a way of mitigating some of those things. Because if you have it paid locally, then it's probably going to get solved locally. For Vimy Pharma, that's still a ways off. It has yet to submit its application to Health Canada to manufacture some eglutide, that says it plans to in the coming weeks. The department says eight applications are under review.

fierce competition for companies to get in on a multi-billion dollar industry. Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton. We close tonight with more from Iran. On a day when the sounds of war are reverberating around the world, in this country some Iranian Canadians are providing the sound of hope. As an Iranian person who has not been to Iran for 30 years, I am very hopeful, I am very hopeful that this change might be. could be a very good one for everybody.

Amir Amiri is a Montreal-based composer and musician. Born in Iran, he emigrated to Canada 30 years ago. Since then, Amiri has created groundbreaking music, fusing traditional Persian styles with jazz, classical, and Middle Eastern music. He has toured the world but has never brought his music back to his homeland. My friends, it's a wish for them and dream for me that You come back and sing here in public. As Iran's future reaches a potential turning point,

Parisa Carini Milan is also optimistic that she too can perform in Iran. It would be a first. Regime rules keep women from performing in public. So for 20 years, she practiced in private. After moving to Montreal, Karimi Mimi Moulin's career was able to flourish. She collaborated with other artists

and released an album. album, music she hopes one day to perform in her home country. Thank you for joining us on your world tonight for Monday, March 2nd. I'm Susan Boner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.