ROME (AP) — Italy announced on Monday that it will take up protection of Canadian interests in Iran, following Ottawa’s recent severing of diplomatic relations with Tehran.
Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said Monday that Canada had requested that Rome represent its interests in Iran after the Sept. 7 closure of the Canadian embassy in Tehran. Canada branded the Islamic republic as the most significant threat to world peace when it made the move, including ordering Iranian diplomats to leave.
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International tensions are running high over suspicions that Tehran is rushing to develop nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear activities are aimed at peaceful purposes like power generation and medical treatment.
“It is a decision taken on the basis of the traditional existing relations with an important friendly and allied country,” the Italian foreign ministry said in the brief announcement that it would represent Ottawa’s interests in Iran.
“Canada conveys its deepest gratitude to the government of Italy for agreeing to provide this valuable assistance to Canadians and to the government of Canada,” Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said in a statement.
Baird said his government began assessing its presence in Iran several months ago, especially after Iranian authorities did nothing to stop an incursion against the British embassy in November.
Severing ties boosted Canada’s close relationship with Israel, Tehran’s arch-enemy.
Iran called Canada’s embassy closure “hasty and unwise.” A day after the decision, Iran’s parliamentary speaker canceled a visit to Canada in protest.
Switzerland represents U.S. interests in Iran, and Canada’s break with Tehran took away another channel for Washington to get first-hand diplomatic assessments of Iranian affairs.
Washington hasn’t had diplomatic ties with Tehran since the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, which saw a 444-day siege of hostages in the American embassy. Canada’s then-ambassador to Tehran helped rescue six Americans during the hostage crisis. That assistance strained Canadian-Iranian relations, which were resumed on the ambassadorial level in 1996.
Ottawa’s relationship with Tehran soured again in 2003 after a photographer with Canadian-Iranian citizenship died in custody following his arrest while taking photographs outside a Tehran prison.
