When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's Iranian Revolution took hold early in 1979, driving the Shah from the country, the Canadian Embassy scurried to evacuate the 850 Canadian workers in Iran, while those inside the embassy planned to wait it out.[3] Six American diplomats took refuge in the Canadian embassy after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy, and the Canadian government, coordinating with the Central Intelligence Agency, evacuated them from the country safely using Canadian passports with forged Iranian visas.[4] The embassy staff were quickly evacuated for fear of retribution against Canadians. This covert rescue became known as the "Canadian Caper", and while it improved Canada's relations with the United States, Canada–Iran relations became more volatile
From 1980 to 1988, Canada and Iran did not have normal diplomatic ties, though relations were not formally severed. The Canadian government was reluctant to reopen an embassy after the Iranian government had kidnapped and tortured protected diplomats
The relationship experienced further turmoil in 2003, when Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was killed in custody in Iran.
Zahra Kazemi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer from Montreal, Canada. During a student protest in June 2003, she was arrested while taking pictures outside a prison in Tehran. Three weeks later, she was killed in custody.
2012 embassy closure
On September 7, 2012, Canada closed its embassy in Iran and declared all remaining Iranian diplomats in Canada personae non gratae, ordering them to leave the country within five days
Kato said:You are a good person for recognizing that this country actually IS an ally of your country.
Not everyone appreciates that.
Thank you.![]()
Kato said:We've got some spare Conservatives, would you like them? :wink: