Iran says a decision by Canada's Parliament to freeze the process of restoring diplomatic ties is not in the interests of that country and could undermine international peace and security.
"Such decisions are to the detriment of Canada and not in line with efforts to preserve international peace and security," Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif told reporters on Thursday at the end of a visit to South Africa, IRNA reported.
A resolution, passed by Canada's House of Commons on Tuesday, called on the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to "immediately cease any and all negotiations or discussions" on restoring diplomatic relations with Tehran, Radio Canada International reported. The strongly worded motion—which is non-binding at this stage— also condemned what it claimed is Iran’s "ongoing sponsorship of terrorism around the world". It called for a prompt designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a "listed terrorist entity" under the Canadian Criminal Code, according to the Toronto Sun. Iran denies supporting terrorism.
The resolution is expected to be discussed at the cabinet level, and it is not yet clear if legislators will take further steps to legally designate the Guard as terrorists under Canadian law.
"Although the government has changed in that country and a new administration has entered the scene with a new approach, the political pressure by the radicals still continues," Zarif said.
He said the Canadian government has turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed by allies of western powers in the Middle East, expressing hope that Ottawa would adopt an "independent" foreign policy. "Iran has always been at the forefront of the campaign against terrorism, and the situation would have been different in the region if not for our country's efforts," he added.
Lawmaker Jalil Rahimi on Saturday criticized Canada's stance on Iran, saying that the North American country is trying to appease US President Donald Trump regarding his anti-Iran stance because it does not want to endanger its economic relations with the US.
