Canada pursuing British, Israeli policies: Iran
(MNA) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Friday that the Canadian government’s decision to close its embassy in Tehran illustrates that it is pursuing the policies dictated by the Zionist regime and Britain.
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird announced on Friday that Canada had closed its embassy in Tehran and would expel all remaining Iranian diplomats in Canada within five days, Reuters reported.
The Canadian foreign minister cited Iran’s nuclear program, its hostility toward Israel, and Iran’s alleged military assistance to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the reasons for the decision to close the embassy.
Baird also said, “Canada views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today,” and accused Iran of showing blatant disregard for the safety of foreign diplomats.
Mehmanparast stated, “The current Canadian government led by (Prime Minister) Mr. Stephen Harper is known for (its) extremist policies in the field of foreign policy. Various and hostile measures of this government against the Iranian nation and the Iranian community residing in Canada, such as the closure of the visa section of the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, the freeze on accounts of Iranians residing in the country, and the ban on the transfer of money to Iranian students in Canada, have been (in line with) those policies.
“The hostile actions of the current racist government in Canada are in fact (just) the pursuit of Zionist and British dictated policies. Along these lines, the Canadian government made extensive efforts to prevent the summit of the heads of state (and government) of the Non-Aligned (Movement) from being held in Tehran (on August 30 and 31), but they (the efforts) failed due to the rebuff from countries and international figures.
“The closure of the Canadian Embassy in Tehran by this government is regarded as a continuation of Harper’s anti-Iran policies and a hasty reaction to this government’s clear defeat due to the fact that the summit of the heads of state (and government) of the Non-Aligned (Movement) was successfully held in Tehran.”
Iran should deliver a firm response to Canada
Iranian MP Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini said on Saturday that Tehran should deliver a firm response to Canada’s decision to close its embassy in Tehran.
“The issue of the closure of the Canadian Embassy in Iran will be studied during (a meeting of) the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on Sunday, which Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh, the deputy foreign minister for international affairs, and Ramin Mehmanparast, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, will attend,” Naqavi-Hosseini, who is the committee’s rapporteur, told the Mehr News Agency.
He added, “The fact that Canada decided to close its embassy in a hasty move should be discussed and investigated in a calm atmosphere, and the Islamic Republic should give a firm response to it.
“The reasons cited by Canada are not worth paying attention to. If this country had (intended) to close its embassy due to (its) opposition to the role of the Islamic Republic in regard to the Syrian crisis, it should have closed the embassies of certain countries on its soil several months ago, including the countries that have trained forces to kill the (Syrian) people and are sending weapons to Syria.”
Larijani cancels trip to Canada: report
In addition, the Persian service of the Fars News Agency reported on Saturday that Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has cancelled the trip that he was scheduled to make to Quebec City in Canada to attend the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union from October 21 to 26.
According to Reuters, during the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, in which 52 U.S. nationals were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, the Canadian Embassy in Tehran sheltered six U.S. diplomats who had avoided capture and then helped them leave Iran with Canadian passports in January 1980. The Canadian Embassy then closed and reopened in 1988.
Canada responsible for safety of Iranian diplomats, Foreign Ministry says
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday saying that the Canadian government is responsible for the protection of Iranian diplomatic personnel in Canada.
The Foreign Ministry said Canada has a bad reputation for protecting diplomatic headquarters and personnel and has repeatedly failed to protect the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa against attacks.
The statement added that “the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran holds the Canadian government responsible for the safety of the embassy’s personnel and the protection of its diplomatic buildings in the country.”