Maple Leaf Foods chief executive Michael McCain [Source: BBC]
One of Canada’s top business leaders has lashed out at US President Donald Trump over the shooting down of an airliner by Iran last week.
Maple Leaf Foods chief executive Michael McCain said his colleague’s wife and son were among the 57 Canadians who died.
Without explicitly naming Mr Trump, he suggested “a narcissist in Washington” ultimately caused the air tragedy.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has vowed to “pursue justice” with Iran.
In a thread on the company Twitter account, Mr McCain said: “US government leaders unconstrained by checks/balances, concocted an ill-conceived plan to divert focus from political woes.”
I’m Michael McCain, CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, and these are personal reflections. I am very angry, and time isn’t making me less angry. A MLF colleague of mine lost his wife and family this week to a needless, irresponsible series of events in Iran…
— Maple Leaf Foods (@MapleLeafFoods) January 13, 2020
Mr McCain, whose company employs more than 11,000 people, said the death of his colleague’s family members was “the collateral damage of this irresponsible, dangerous, ill-conceived behaviour”.
He also criticised US efforts to dismantle the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.
A company spokeswoman confirmed the tweets were from Mr McCain, telling Canadian media that the tragedy “warranted his response”.
On Saturday, Iran said it “unintentionally” shot down the Ukrainian plane.
The apparent blunder came hours after Iran launched missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Iranian Gen Qasem Soleimani.
At a vigil in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday Canada’s prime minister called the crash “a tragedy that never should have occurred”.
“We will not rest until there are answers,” Mr Trudeau told the audience of more than 2,000. “We will not rest until there is justice and accountability.”
