Politics
Why Canada doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Iran anymore – National TenX News
There are at least 3,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Iran as protests and a brutal regime crackdown roil the country that Canada no longer has diplomatic relations with.
Canadians in Iran are being urged to “leave now” if it is safe to do so and make a land border crossing to either Turkey or Armenia to access any consular support services.
Without diplomatic relations, Canada and Iran maintain no embassies or diplomatic staff in each other’s countries.
Italy acts as what is known as a “protecting power” for Canada in Iran, with a limited diplomatic capacity for handling emergency consular cases.
Switzerland acts in that role for Iran in Canada, and Iran’s shuttered embassy in Ottawa was defaced earlier this week.
But it hasn’t always been that way — so how did we get here?
How did relations break down?
The freeze in diplomatic relations goes back more than a decade.
The Conservative government led by former prime minister Stephen Harper placed economic sanctions on Iran in 2010 over fears that Iran was pursuing the development of nuclear weapons.
The federal government at the time said this was done “in close consultation with like-minded partners, including the United States and the European Union.”
Soon after, the government suspended all bilateral trade with Iran and severed all diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2012.
The 2012 suspension of diplomatic relations cited Iran’s “increasing military assistance” to Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad during his brutal crackdown on Arab Spring protests, which included his use of chemical weapons against his own people.
Former foreign affairs minister John Baird, in a statement, called Iran “the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world” at the time, and Canada designated Iran as a “state supporter of terrorism.”
The Canadian embassy in Tehran was closed on Sept. 7, 2012.
All Iranian diplomats in Canada were expelled and Canadians in Iran were asked to travel to the Canadian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, for assistance.
Soon after Canada closed its embassy, Ottawa designated Italy as its protecting power.
In 2015, a new Liberal Canadian government under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau vowed to renew ties after the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.
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As part of the deal, Iran agreed to limit any activities in its nuclear program that could lead to the production of weapons-grade uranium.
In return, most nations agreed to lift some of the sanctions against Tehran.
In February 2016, Canada lifted some sanctions against Iran “in order to contribute to international efforts to recognize the progress made under the JCPOA.”
However, some restrictions remained on “Iran’s access to sensitive goods from Canada, especially with respect to nuclear proliferation and the development of ballistic missiles.”
The thaw did not last long.
In 2018, the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.
“We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction. Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States,” Trump said.
In 2019, Canada accused Iran of “incrementally” reducing its compliance with the nuclear deal, “including by expanding enrichment activities and increasing quantities of highly enriched uranium.”
On Jan. 3, 2020, the U.S. killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike, and on Jan. 5, Iran announced it was withdrawing from its commitments under the nuclear deal entirely.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. assets in the Middle East on Jan. 7, and on Jan. 8, Iran shot down a passenger plane taking off from Tehran.
The downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 killed 176 passengers and crew, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.
Mahsa Amini protests and beyond
On Sept. 16, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in a Tehran hospital.
The Iranian government said Amini, who was arrested for defying the Iranian regime’s hijab laws, had a heart attack at the police station and fell into a coma before she reached the hospital. However, reporting quickly emerged, citing eyewitnesses who said that she was severely beaten by police and died as a result of her injuries.
Her death sparked the largest wave of mass protest against the Iranian regime in years.
Canada responded by placing sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s notorious “morality police,” and named a street after Amini in Ottawa.
Trudeau said Iran’s regime was “bloodthirsty” and that Canada would sanction the individuals most responsible for Iran’s egregious behaviour.”
In 2024, Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization under the Criminal Code. Last year, Canada joined the United States and 12 European allies in condemning what they said is a “growing number of state threats” by Iran’s intelligence services against people abroad, including dissidents, journalists and Jewish citizens of their countries.
The joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department called attempts by Iran to “kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America” a “clear violation” of those nations’ sovereignty.
Last month, Tehran classified the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization.
Where do things stand now?
As mass protests against Iran’s regime intensified this month, with estimates of more than 2,000 people dead so far, Canada said it “strongly condemns the horrific killing of protesters in Iran.”
“We have repeatedly called on the Iranian authorities to stop the persecution of its own population, and end repressive tactics including violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation.”
Due to the lack of a Canadian embassy in Tehran, Canada’s ability to provide consular services in Iran is “extremely limited,” the government has noted in statements about the ongoing protests.
While many airlines have suspended flights to and from Iran, land crossings to both Turkey and Armenia remain open. Anyone with a Canadian passport does not need a visa to enter those countries, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said.
Canadians can also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, GAC said.
— With files from The Canadian Press
Politics
IMF chief backs Jerome Powell, U.S. Fed independence amid Trump pressure – National TenX News
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday underscored the importance of keeping central banks independent and threw her support behind beleaguered Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who is facing a Trump administration investigation for renovation cost overruns.
Georgieva told Reuters in an interview that there was ample evidence that central bank independence worked in the interest of businesses and households, and that evidence-based, data-based decision-making is good for the economy.
The IMF managing director said she had worked with Powell and respected his professionalism.
“I have worked with Jay Powell. He is a very good professional, very decent man, and I think that his standing among his colleagues tells the story,” she said, when asked about a letter of support signed by her predecessor, Christine Lagarde, now head of the European Central Bank, and other large central banks.
Powell on Sunday disclosed that the Trump administration had opened an investigation into him over cost overruns for a $2.5 billion project to renovate two historical buildings at the Fed’s Washington headquarters complex.
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Powell denies wrongdoing and has called the unprecedented actions a pretext to put pressure on him for not bowing to U.S. President Donald Trump’s long-running demands for sharply lower interest rates.
The probe has sparked widespread criticism from some key members of Trump’s Republican Party in the U.S. Senate, which must confirm his nominee to succeed Powell, along with foreign economic officials, investors and former U.S. government officials from both political parties.
Trump has repeatedly derided Powell’s leadership of the Fed and attacked him, often personally, over what he sees as the Fed chair’s slow moves to cut interest rates. On Wednesday, he dismissed concerns that eroding central bank independence would undermine the value of the U.S. dollar and spark inflation, telling Reuters, “I don’t care.”
Georgieva said the IMF looked carefully at issues such as monetary and financial stability, as well as the strength of a country’s institutions. It was specifically interested in the Fed, given the role of the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency.
“It would be very good to see that there is a recognition … that the Fed is precious for the Americans. It is very important for the rest of the world,” she said.
Trump has also attempted to fire another Fed official, Governor Lisa Cook, who has challenged her termination in a legal case that will be argued before the Supreme Court next week.
B.C. Premier David Eby spoke to reporters on Thursday morning from Mumbai, India, during his six-day trade mission.
He said that mining and energy companies in India are showing an interest in B.C.
“They are looking strongly to LNG as one of their ways of reducing carbon intensity, as well as reducing smog in the country,” Eby said.
“And so B.C. LNG has been an item of considerable interest, especially the projects that are reaching final investment decision over the next year — LNG Canada Phase 2, KSI Lisims LNG — as well as the projects that are under construction like Woodfibre LNG.”
Eby was also asked about the rise in extortion cases in B.C.
He said the province’s extortion task force will provide an update next week.
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“We have assembled a remarkable and historic task force, RCMP, CBSA,” Eby said.
“There are more police in Surrey right now than there have ever been. The RCMP has surged resources into the community.”
Eby said he has not been happy with the fact that there has been no update from the task force and he has asked them to provide one.
“There have been some important developments, people deported, an arrest here in India, cooperation between the Indian government and the Canadian government on this at the law enforcement level,” he added.
“That needs to continue, but, bluntly, we need better results, we need to see more arrests and whatever we can do to support the police to get the job done, we will do so.”
As of Jan. 12, Surrey police said there have been 16 reported extortion incidents in the city since the beginning of the year.
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Amid persistent doubts over the future of the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA), Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard insisted on Thursday that the agreement remains firmly intact and that the three countries will close a deal to extend it.
“We’re already in the treaty review phase, and we have to finish by July 1; that’s our deadline,” Ebrard said during Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily morning press conference.
“We have made good progress on all the points that concern each of the parties.”
Ebrard’s comments were his first on the topic since U.S. President Donald Trump again cast doubt on the treaty’s future earlier this week.
“There’s no real advantage to it, it’s irrelevant,” Trump said on Tuesday, as he toured a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan.
The trilateral trade agreement, known as USMCA, replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020 and is a backbone of Mexico’s economy.
The treaty, which was negotiated during Trump’s first term, requires the three countries to hold a joint review this year to extend the pact.
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If extended, the treaty will remain in place another 16 years. If not, it is subject to annual reviews.
Technically, July 1 is a key date in the treaty’s review process, but many analysts expect negotiations to extend late into 2026 and said Trump will likely avoid extending the treaty before the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Trump’s recent threats to pursue military action against cartels have also added a new layer of uncertainty to U.S.-Mexico relations.
“I think Ebrard is betting on a best-case scenario, but the window for a July successful review is closing fast,” said Alexia Bautista, a former Mexican diplomat and lead Mexico analyst at the political risk consultancy firm Horizon Engage.
“Given recent events and statements, the risk is that Trump injects security into the process, turning the trade review into a far more political negotiation.”
Pedro Casas, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, said he expects the U.S. will continue imposing tariffs on a wide spectrum of Mexican exports, regardless of the treaty’s future.
The Trump administration has imposed sweeping 50 per cent duties on steel and aluminum exports to the U.S., along with a 25 per cent tariff on cars shipped from Mexico, even when those vehicles comply with the terms of the trade deal.
“I think the most likely scenario is a positive review process where we agree to extend the treaty for another 16 years, but steep tariffs still remain on Mexican exports that undermine the strength of the agreement,” Casas said.
IMF chief backs Jerome Powell, U.S. Fed independence amid Trump pressure – National TenX News
B.C. Premier David Eby says province’s LNG, mining of interest to India TenX News
Mexico confident CUSMA will remain as Trump suggests it could expire – National TenX News
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