Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, who made the announcement, called Iran “the most significant threat to global peace and security” and said the decision was made because Canada could no longer guarantee the safety of its diplomats in Iran.
He cited Iran’s support for the Syrian regime, its “refusal” to comply with UN Security Council resolutions about its nuclear program and its regular threats to Israel as other reasons for cutting off diplomatic ties.
“Under the circumstances, Canada can no longer maintain a diplomatic presence in Iran,” Baird told reporters. “Our diplomats serve Canada as civilians and their safety is our number one priority.”
His remarks came less than a year after the British embassy building – and a separate diplomatic compound and staff quarters – in Tehran were ransacked by a crowd of protestors calling themselves students. Britain said the protestors were members of the Basij, and they damaged the embassy and stole diplomatic staffs’ possessions. In the wake of the incident, the UK expelled Iranian diplomats but didn’t completely sever all diplomatic ties. Germany, France and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors for consultation and Norway temporarily closed down its embassy.
“[Iran] is among the world’s worst violators of human rights; and it shelters and materially supports terrorist groups,” Baird said in a statement. “Moreover, the Iranian regime has shown blatant disregard for the Vienna Convention and its guarantee of protection for diplomatic personnel.”
All Canadian diplomatic staff has left Iran, and Iranian diplomats in Canada had been given five days to leave.
Iran would “certainly give an appropriate response” to the Canadian decision, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said.
He lashed out at Canada during a press conference and said Canada’s decision was taken under Israeli pressure. “Canada’s current government is an extremist government…influenced by the Zionist regime (Israel), which takes measures to put pressure on the Iranian people and create problems for nationals of our country,” said Ramin Mehmanparast.
He also linked the decision to the success of the recently concluded Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, which Iran touts as a major diplomatic victory.
“Steps like this are part of efforts to overshadow Iran’s vast diplomatic victory during the Non-Aligned Movement summit,” Mehmanparast said.
Referring to the US, Canada and Israel, he said that “these countries wanted to divert the attention of people in Western countries and people of other world countries to [show that] Iran has been isolated.”
While Canada’s step prompted Iranian ire, it elicited praise from Israel where Prime Minister Netanyahu said “everyone appreciates” the “forthright stand.”
“I deeply appreciate the position of principle and conviction that was taken by Prime Minister Harper and the government of Canada,” Netanyahu told Canadian television CBC.
Canada has also issued a travel advisory warning it citizens against traveling to Iran, citing arbitrary search, harassment and possibly even investigation in detention.
“Canadian travelers may be arbitrarily questioned, arrested and detained for a long period,” the advisory statement read. The statement also warns Canadians that casual interactions and using cameras in public outside well-established tourist areas could lead to investigation and harassment, especially now that Canada has severed diplomatic ties.
All Canadian citizens re now supposed to visit the country’s embassy in Turkey for services.
Several Iranian-Canadian human rights activists have welcomed Canada’s move. The Canadian activists, who have been calling for a severing of ties with Iran for some time, called it a victory for human rights and pro-democracy groups inside Iran.
“This needed to happen,” Shabnam Assadollahi told the Toronto Sun. Sayeh Hasan, a lawyer and activist, said the cut-off will boost the morale of pro-democracy activists in Iran.
Reporters asked Baird if Canada had recalled its diplomats and issued a travel advisory against going to Iran because of an impeding US or Israeli strike on Iran, he said he knew of “no actions to be taken by another state.”
Historically, Canada’s diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic have been tense and strained at times. Canada closed its embassy in Tehran in 1980 after the hostage crisis. Relations resumed again in 1996 under Khatami after both countries re-established their embassies. But in 2003, tensions started again after an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, Zahra Kazemi, died in Iranian custody. Canada condemned the death as murder by the Iranian government.
Currently, there are about 400,000 Iranians who live in Canada, and Toronto is sometimes called Tehran owing to its population of Iranians. Those holding dual citizenship regularly travel back and forth for family and business visits. Several Iranian-Canadian citizens are currently in Iranian jails.
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall has been sentenced to death in 2009 after hi was arrested the previous year on charges of espionage. Ghassemi-Shall is a shoe salesman and was visiting his ailing mother when he was arrested.
The Canadian government has called for a stay of the execution order and international human rights organizations have started campaigns for his release. He remains on death row.
An Iranian-Canadian web programmer, Saeed Malekpour, is on death row after he was convicted of promoting pornographic websites. Malekpour says the Iranian government elicited a confession from him under torture.