# Canada closes embassy in Iran **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990 "2012-09-07T14:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/1 "2012-09-07T14:40:21Z")
Well, [this](http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Canada/Canada+closes+embassy+Iran/7206273/story.html) is interesting. > [@](#): > > Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird blamed Iran’s increasing military assistance to the Syrian government, its refusal to comply with UN resolutions on its nuclear program, its anti-Israel stance and its support for terrorism as among the reasons for the move. I’m somewhat impressed by this stance. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/2 "2012-09-07T16:53:56Z")
That is interesting - it appears Canada is the first (and at this point only?) country to do this. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/3 "2012-09-07T17:38:33Z")
I thought the US had previously closed its embassy in Iran. Did it reopen again while I wasn’t looking? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/4 "2012-09-07T17:40:00Z")
I don’t believe the US has had an embassy in Iran since the hostage taking. We have to communicate with them thru a third party. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/5 "2012-09-07T17:47:28Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I don’t believe the US has had an embassy in Iran since the hostage taking. We have to communicate with them thru a third party. And, as I recall, Canada did the US the kindness of concealing some of our diplomatic personnel in their embassy and whisking them to safety at the first opportunity. Thank you, Canada. It is good to have a friend on the other side of the longest undefended border in the world. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/6 "2012-09-07T17:54:24Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And, as I recall, Canada did the US the kindness of concealing some of our diplomatic personnel in their embassy and whisking them to safety at the first opportunity. > > Thank you, Canada. It is good to have a friend on the other side of the longest undefended border in the world. > > Regards, > Shodan No prob, man. Here: have some poutine and a cold beer (neither of which are readily available in Iran, the _real_ reason we’re leaving). ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/7 "2012-09-07T17:56:28Z")
Then again, this does sort of beg the question if Canada knows something others don’t know, and want to get their people out before anything happens. Call me paranoid, but I just think Israel has itchy trigger fingers and there might be some new developments that are making those fingers itchier than usual. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/8 "2012-09-07T17:57:02Z")
FYI the Swiss are our (US) representatives with the Islamic Republic of Iran. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/9 "2012-09-07T18:01:05Z")
I hardly think Canada would be privy to some secret information that others don’t have. I can’t imagine Obama doing anything this close to the election either. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/10 "2012-09-07T18:28:30Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I hardly think Canada would be privy to some secret information that others don’t have. > > I can’t imagine Obama doing anything this close to the election either. Others may know as well - and I fully agree Obama wouldn’t be “doing anything”, especially now - but Israel doesn’t always follow the USA when it comes to what they think they should do and when they should do it. And maybe Canada is just being overly cautious, and doesn’t know any _exact date_ - but is seeing the writing on the wall? Getting out of Dodge earlier than the others is probably not a bad policy. All of those reasons for leaving sound like pretty dangerous sparks for some kind of outside military confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/11 "2012-09-07T19:27:49Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > And maybe Canada is just being overly cautious, and doesn’t know any _exact date_ - but is seeing the writing on the wall? Getting out of Dodge earlier than the others is probably not a bad policy. Since they did not respect the US embassy, they may decide not to respect the Canadian. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/12 "2012-09-07T19:28:16Z")
Didn’t Iran just host some international conference in which they tried to portray themselves as the victims of terrorism, tried to rewrite their history of war by proxy? Maybe Canada saw that as a prequel to some larger, unpalatable move. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/13 "2012-09-07T19:35:15Z")
The news report this morning said that the British embassy felt threatened with being overrun as the Americans were in '79 and that the Canadians didn’t want to take any chances. There was nothing to suggest secret knowledge. But we certainly know that Iran has no commitment to recognizing diplomatic immunity. Incidentally, back in 1980, the six American diplomats who had taken refuge in the Canadian embassy were said to have been smuggled out by being “disguised as Canadians”. Our editorial cartoonist had a field day with that one, picturing them as having maple leaves tatooed on their faces and hockey sticks in their hands. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/14 "2012-09-07T20:46:22Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Incidentally, back in 1980, the six American diplomats who had taken refuge in the Canadian embassy were said to have been smuggled out by being “disguised as Canadians”. Our editorial cartoonist had a field day with that one, picturing them as having maple leaves tatooed on their faces and hockey sticks in their hands. When questioned by whatever the gendarmes in Iran are called: “We’re hosers, eh?” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/15 "2012-09-07T20:52:13Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I thought the US had previously closed its embassy in Iran. Did it reopen again while I wasn’t looking? We were evicted in 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/16 "2012-09-07T21:00:53Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Others may know as well - and I fully agree Obama wouldn’t be “doing anything”, especially now - but Israel doesn’t always follow the USA when it comes to what they think they should do and when they should do it. > > And maybe Canada is just being overly cautious, and doesn’t know any _exact date_ - but is seeing the writing on the wall? Getting out of Dodge earlier than the others is probably not a bad policy. All of those reasons for leaving sound like pretty dangerous sparks for some kind of outside military confrontation. I don’t know… Iran has been pretty blatantly working to create nuclear weapons. All the computer viruses in the world aren’t going to stop them forever, and Israel can’t possibly hope to assassinate everybody in Iran who knows anything about nuclear bombs (especially since we are, after all, talking about technology that’s been around since the 1940’s). Israel might well be figuring that a military strike is inevitable. And if they’re determine to strike, then Obama’s opinion on the matter really won’t matter that much. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/17 "2012-09-07T22:51:44Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Others may know as well - and I fully agree Obama wouldn’t be “doing anything”, especially now - but Israel doesn’t always follow the USA when it comes to what they think they should do and when they should do it. > > And maybe Canada is just being overly cautious, and doesn’t know any _exact date_ - but is seeing the writing on the wall? Getting out of Dodge earlier than the others is probably not a bad policy. All of those reasons for leaving sound like pretty dangerous sparks for some kind of outside military confrontation. I can believe this - it could also be as simple as there is the writing on the wall that Iran is up to no-good shenanigans, and we have no particular reason to stay there. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/18 "2012-09-09T01:27:32Z")
While I was in the hospital today, they had some news service constantly droning on in the background of the waiting room, part of the story was also that the Iranian embassy in Ottawa is up to some shenanigans not consistent with embassy stuff, and could face a police investigation. Sorta sounds like we are gonna take diplo immunity away from their staff soon, and we got ours out of dodge. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/19 "2012-09-09T02:21:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And, as I recall, Canada did the US the kindness of concealing some of our diplomatic personnel in their embassy and whisking them to safety at the first opportunity. Soon to be a [major motion picture](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w918Eh3fij0). ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran/633990/20 "2012-09-09T05:42:28Z")
After what happened with Kazemi, I’m surprised they stayed there as long as they did. A country that’s so willing to violate jus cogens norms of international law isn’t a place you leave your diplomats sitting tight. I don’t much like John Baird but I like this decision. I just think it’s five years overdue.