Canada to Keep Sanctions on Iran Despite Nuclear Deal

Despite enthusiasm expressed by US President Barack Obama and Western leaders regarding the nuclear deal with Iran, Canada remains skeptical and will base its decisions on Iran’s actions, not words.

The world is rushing to establish diplomatic and economic ties with Iran following the signing of an accord with the P5+1 powers regarding its nuclear program on Tuesday. However, Canada has stated it will keep its sanctions in place, at least for now, despite the agreement.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Canada “appreciates” the efforts made by the six world powers to reach the agreement.

Nevertheless, “at the same time, we will continue to judge Iran by its actions, not its words. To this end, Canada will continue to support the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor Iran’s compliance with its commitments.”

Nicholson stressed that Iran still constitutes a “significant threat to international peace and security owing to the regime’s nuclear ambitions, its continuing support for terrorism, its repeated calls for the destruction of Israel and its disregard for basic human rights.

“We will examine this deal further before taking any specific Canadian action,” he stated. The Canadian sanctions against the Islamic Republic will not be removed and Ottawa will not renew diplomatic ties with Tehran, which were severed in 2012.

Canada has expressed skepticism about the deal with Iran in the past, saying it was not convinced that the accord would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. “Iran’s track record is not one that encourages trust,” Nicholson said in April.

By: Max Gelber, United with Israel 

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