With no embassy in Tehran, Canada reacts to turmoil in Iran from afar

Neither Israel nor Iran decreases from a growing conflict that has endangered civilians in both countries, and because Canada has no embassy in Iran, Ottawa must work from afar to support Thousands of Canadian citizens Stuck there.

While Canada has an embassy in Israel, it Diplomatic coupations cut with Tehran More than a decade ago.

Although having a presence of the embassy would offer Canada certain advantages, analysts and observers say that there are limits in what can be done on the ground with so many chaos.

That said, Bruce Mabley, a retired diplomat whose publications included stays in the Middle East, says that having a diplomatic presence allows at least the two countries to speak potentially.

“It’s stupid not to be there,” he said.

A long path on the border

Global Affairs Canada has not answered CBC News questions about how the embassy’s lack of presence had an impact on Ottawa’s efforts to support Canadians in Iran.

But even if Canada had an embassy in Tehran at the moment, this would not change the fact that thefts are not leaving the capital. Iran and Israel both closed their air spaces while launching many attacks during last week, although Iran recently authorized an Indian flight from another part of the country, and many others should follow.

Foreign Minister Anita Anand publicly exhorted Canadians fleeing Israel and Iran go to Jordan, Armenia and Turkey.

But the journey to the neighboring nations of Turkey or Armenia is long for anyone living in the Iranian capital, which is hundreds of kilometers from one of these destinations.

“The border is really far away,” said history professor at the University of Toronto, Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, who was born in Tehran and still has family in Iran.

He says that the roads of the Iranian capital have been blocked by people trying to flee, which makes this path more difficult.

A tense trip

One of his students, Hanieh Bakhtiari, recently returned to Iran to visit his parents, and the fights began a few days after his arrival.

Bakhtiari and her partner fled the country on a bus, in a tense trip of 11 am to Turkey, during which she said that she “looked constantly” the sky for potential attacks.

“We were … very frightened to be attacked while we were on the road,” said Bakhtiari, who spoke to CBC In this case On his trip outside Iran.

Israel started A wave of attacks on June 13targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites with air strikes that have killed High -ranking Iranian generals and nuclear scientists.

Human rights activists based in Washington in Iran Since ThursdayAt least 657 people were killed in Israeli attacks, and among these, at least 263 were civilians.

Iran has launched retaliation strikes, which Israeli military estimates involved at least 450 missiles and 1,000 drones. At least two dozen people in Israel have been killed.

The Israeli push against Iran can attract the participation of the United States, although US President Donald Trump has delayed decision-making.

Links reduction costs

Opinions are divided between observers to know if it would be preferable for Canada to have an embassy in Tehran.

“Having an embassy in Tehran would not be a panacea,” said Peter G. Bates, a retired Canadian diplomat who was posted twice in Tehran and helped close the Canada Embassy in 2012.

Phil Gurski, former analyst of Iran Iran Intelligence for Canadian espionage agencies, finds himself “on both sides” of the debate.

On the one hand, he says that there is a point where a line is crossed that cannot be tolerated, but when an embassy closes and the links are cut, “you fly essentially blind”.

Gurski says that there are other means for the government to monitor events in Iran – including examining satellite information, the use of the intelligence of signals or the conference with friendly embassies on what is happening on the ground.

Gurski, Mabley and Bates all note that when an embassy is closed, a government will generally ask an ally with an embassy presence in this same region to provide support in its absence.

However, any friendly embassy making favors for Canada will first notify the needs of its own citizens.

And as things degenerate between Israel and Iran, such an ally can also obtain similar demands from other nations which do not have a diplomatic presence in Tehran.

Tavakoli-Targhi of the U of T clearly sees an advantage that an embassy offers, beyond giving better access to diplomatic staff to citizens abroad.

He says that embassies can serve as a source of hope for people who are “in a moment of despair”, like many Canadians living in Tehran right now.