Iran Accuses Canada of Spying

(Tehran, Iran) Since the Iranian Parliament has no final authority for anything, one wonders where the accusation is coming from. It's speculated that Canada's assertiveness in the UN to have Iran condemned for human rights violations is at the root of the seemingly false accusation.

From TheStar.com:

In a sign of chilling relations between Iran and Canada, Iranian lawmakers have labelled Canada's embassy in Tehran a "den of spies" and called for a probe that could shut it down.

"The Canadian embassy represents the 'den of spies' and this is unacceptable for Iranians," said hard-liner Hamidreza Hajbabai, one of a group of parliamentarians accusing Ottawa of plotting with the United States, a long-term enemy of Iran.

Another lawmaker, Javad Arian-Manesh, said the Majiles (parliament) would investigate the Canadian embassy for espionage, "and if it is proven, (we are) determined to shut down the mission."

In a lapse of Islamic tolerance and diversity, one sneering Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said, "Canada is no big deal in global politics. We all know Canada is acting on behalf of other countries and only after full co-ordination with London."

Canadian officials called the charges baseless and rhetorical. Nonetheless, they add to the decreasing level of peacefulness and tolerance between the two nations. An interested observer might even call the charges an act of belligerence.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.