Abstract
ABSTRACTDuring the 2015 election campaign, the opposition Liberal party pledged that if elected, it would re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, which had been suspended in 2012 by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Liberals won a majority, and subsequently tried to act on that promise. In June 2018, however, they suspended these efforts. Four factors explain this outcome: the legacy of hard-line Conservative policies against Iran, especially the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act; the complex politics of consular cases; growing opposition within the Liberal party; and the reality that the issue was not a priority for either Canada or Iran. This outcome is costly: not having an embassy in Tehran prevents Ottawa from achieving some interests in the Middle East. This article, based on more than 20 interviews with officials involved in Iran policy between 2006 and 2018, explains how this outcome came about, and with what consequences.
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