Canada Working to Renew Mutual Ties

The Canadian government, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is working to renew ties with Iran, maintaining that there are political benefits to Canada-Iran relationship. Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in Montreal on October 17. Dion said, "We are working to renew our relationship with Iran, in order to protect our values and interests as well as those of our friends, including Israel," Israel National News reported on Saturday. Ottawa closed its embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran and ordered Iranian diplomats to leave the North American country in September 2012. The unexpected decision was made by former hardline Canadian premier, Stephen Harper, citing, among other pretexts, what he described as "continued threats from Iran to Israel".