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International Journal of Political Science ISSN: 2228-6217 Vol 9, No 1, Spring 2019, (pp.17-34) Iran and Canada Relations Main Obstacles and Bilateral Perspectives Majid Bozorgmehri 1*, Sonaz Nasiri 2 1 Department of Political Science, Imam Khomeini International University. Qazvin, Iran and Visitor Scholar, York University, Ontario, Canada 2 Department of Political Science, Payam Nour University, Tehran, Iran Received: 18 March 2018 ; Accepted: 20 Feb 2019 Abstract: Despite Iran’s critical relations with USA since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Canada had often played the role of an honest broker and maintained relations with Iran, contrary to the US. Although the Canadian Government has not viewed the Iranian regime as democratic actor, it was interested in pursuing diplomacy for moderating the Iranian Policies too. Iran and Canada relations have passed the numerous ups and downs in the diplomatic, political and economic affairs. As our major question, this study aims at investigating the main factors, which affect the structure of bilateral relations. Canada has controlled engagement policy limits talks with Iran down to four main subjects: Iran’s human rights situation, its regional role, notably towards Israel and the Middle East Peace Process, its nuclear program and an unfair accusation claiming a supportive role for Iran in world terrorism. Insisting on the principles of its foreign policy with its own reasonable justifications, Iran has tried to test various ways for conserving some levels of cooperation particularity economic and for keeping so the limited links with North America. Relaying on discourse analysis, the article tries to elaborate the related issues by looking at the perspectives of both parties. Keywords: Iran, Canada, North America, Middle East, International Security Introduction The heartland of the ancient civilization of Enjoying an outstanding regional role in Persia, Iran is a resource-rich country at the the Middle East, Iran is constantly a secure cross-roads of Eurasia. Poised between the producer of petroleum energy. Canada is Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea usually considered as a relative im in the north, Iran is home to a diverse popula- partial country in North America for Iran tion of almost 80,000,000 people. as well as an alternative power when facing *Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected] 18 Iran and Canada Relations Main Obstacles and Bilateral Perspectives the USA hostilities. and previous works discussing the Iran- Despite Iran’s critical relations with USA Canada relations. There are a few works, since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Canada which have tried to describe or analyze the had often played the role of an honest broker topic. and maintained relations with Iran, contrary De Kerckhove through his interesting re- to the US. Although the Canadian Govern- view entitled “Canada and Iran: Looking ment has not viewed the Islamic Regime in beyond the Present” in 2012 has tried to illu- Iran as democratic actor, it was interested in strate a good and comprehensive review of pursuing diplomacy for moderating the Ira- bilateral relations. De Kerckhove believes in nian Policies too. three topics which must be highlighted in any Iran and Canada relations have passed the effort for improvement of bilateral relations. numerous ups and downs in the diplomatic, He states “Despite feeble diplomatic attempts political and economic affairs. As our major over time, three fundamental differences question, this study aims at investigating the would soon mar any hopes of improvements: main factors, which affect the structure of Iran’s appalling human rights abuses, its an- bilateral relations. tinomy positions on Israel and the Middle Canada has controlled engagement policy East Peace, and the nuclear non-proliferation limits talks with Iran down to four main sub- debate.(De Kerckhove. 2012) He had an jects: Iran’s human rights situation, its re- enough delicacy on the matter but he has gional role, notably towards Israel and the seen the question more with a Canadian in- Middle East Peace Process, its nuclear pro- terpretation rather than an impartial judg- gram and an unfair accusation claiming a ment. supportive role for Iran in world terrorism. Malcolm by his negative look and skeptic- Insisting on the principles of its foreign ism believes in Iran’s covert activities in policy with its own reasonable justifications, Canada. For him, Canada, much like the Iran has tried to test various ways for con- United States, has long been a target of Iran’s serving some levels of cooperation particular- covert foreign operations. He claims that ity economic and keeping so the limited links Iran has a well documented history of using with North America. Canada has also been an Canada as a launching pad for its global fun- appropriate destination for the Iranian immi- draising and money-laundering operations, grants who were and are in majority, high and has been caught openly calling for the level educated. infiltration of Canada’s governing institutions Relaying on discourse analysis, the article and civil society. (Malcolm. 2017) tries to elaborate the related issues by looking Contrary to Malcolm, Nesbitt speaks at the perspectives of both parties. about a likely reestablishment of relations Finally, an optimistic discourse is opened between two countries and tries to find the according to the Iranian perspective. ways to reduce or remove the obstacles.(Nesbitt.2012) Previous literature The Standing Senate Committee on For- Under the shadow of great number of studies eign Affairs and International Trade in Cana- covering the Iran`s relations with the west in da prepared a report. The report has identi- general and with U.S.A in North America, fied three critical themes -- Iran’s nuclear we obviously suffer from the lake of sources activities, human rights in Iran, and regional 19 International Journal of Political Science, Vol 9, No 1, Spring 2019 dynamics – and suggests that these form the tions between Ottawa and Tel Aviv. Canada focus of Canada’s foreign policy towards neglects willingly other acts of terrorism in Iran and the region moving forward. the world, Mussa Zadeh writes. He empha- Although the report has a negative pre- sizes that Iran is itself a victim of terrorism. judgment and discusses more or less the Ira- (Mussa Zadeh, 2017) nian policies with unilateral interpretation, Nour Alivand speaks about the different but it tries to propose some new perspectives approaches of conservative and liberal gov- for more and better cooperation in future. ernments regarding to Iran. But he believes in (Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Af- general that the Canadian foreign policy at fairs and International Trade.2012) least in the Middle East is affected by USA With his interesting paper “Political and policy. He recommends Tehran keeping rela- legal issues between Iran and Canada, Find- tions with Ottawa.(Nour Alivand.2016) ing paths for passing the obstacles” Islami All these works deserve surly a great has tried to analyze the issue somewhat im- consideration but they are mostly prepared partially. By pointing out to the two ap- on base of the unilateral comment and in- proaches of Ottawa in its history of relations terpretation. Most of them try to see the with USA and Great Britain “alliance” and issue from a Canadian perspective. Iran has “bandwagoning”, as Islami names them, he like any other country in the International claims that the Canadian policy vis-à-vis Iran platform, his own attitudes and its reasona- has been shaped under the shadow of these ble comments. So here, by a bilateral as two attitudes. He believes that the economic well as impartial vision, we try to dig dee- and cultural as well as academic ties would per the issue. create better the bases of cooperation in future. (Islami. 2007) Data & analysis Through one of its reports, Borden Ladner Brief history of relations Gervais publication speaks about softening Before Revolution 1979, on the bilateral lev- sanctions against Iran: A Canadian perspec- el, political contact between Canada and Iran tive. The short report explains the legal ob- throughout the mid-1950s was minimal. stacles for promoting the economic trade Commercial ties were also modest during this with Iran after the Joint Comprehensive Plan period. When Ottawa did weigh in on Iranian of Action (JCPOA). Relying on the report, at matters, it was frequently due to an intersec- present, Canada has imposed economic sanc- tion with British interests there. tions against Iran under both the United Na- Following the exchange of ambassadors tions Act (UN Act) and the Special Economic in 1961, the commercial relationship grew Measures Act (SEMA). Economic sanctions steadily but also slowly and one-sidedly. Pe- imposed under SEMA are much more intru- troleum was the main Iranian export to Cana- sive on Canadian-Iran trade than those im- da. Between 1961 and 1972 Canada received posed under the UN Act. (BLG. 2016) 241 million barrels of oil from the Iran. By By describing the Canadian approach 1970, these petroleum imports were valued at against political terrorism, Mussa Zadeh nearly $34 million annually. However, during claims that Canada has accused unduly Iran the same period, Canada exported only about as supporter of terrorism. For him, this accu- $8 million in goods to Iran each year. sation is only a pretext hiding the close rela- (Bookmiller. 2009. Canada and Iran’ (1971) 20 Iran and Canada Relations Main Obstacles and Bilateral Perspectives Department of External Affairs Monthly Re- Canada`s most important trading partners in port 23, no.10 (1971)) the middle East region. (Arvin. 2017) Hence, Tehran enjoyed a healthy trade The suspicious death of Iranian-Canadian surplus in its dealings with Ottawa during photojournalist Zahra Kazemi in 2003, which this stage of the bilateral commercial rela- died while detained in Tehran's Evin prison, tionship.

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