Canada Closes Embassy in Iran

Diplomatic relations severed after attacks on British embassy

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Sep 7, 2012 10:08 AM CDT

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Canada Closes Embassy in Iran — Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird responds to a question in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, on Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

The Canadian government says it is shutting its embassy in Tehran and severing diplomatic relations amid recent attacks on foreign diplomats in Iran. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said today that the Canadian embassy will close immediately and that Iranian diplomats in Canada have been given five days to leave. He says he's worried about the safety of diplomats in Tehran following recent attacks on the British embassy there.

Baird is also warning Canadians to avoid traveling to Iran, calling it a state sponsor of terrorism that has been spreading anti-Semitic hatred. People seeking Canadian consular services in Iran are being directed to the country's embassy in Turkey.

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