TEHRAN– Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that his government is considering reopening Canada’s embassies in Iran and Venezuela, arguing that the absence of diplomatic missions has limited Ottawa’s ability to protect Canadian citizens and respond effectively to humanitarian crises.
Speaking to reporters, Carney stressed that diplomacy and consular services are essential instruments of statecraft.
The prime minister said Canada is at a disadvantage without diplomatic representation in countries where Canadians may require assistance, citing Venezuela as an example where Ottawa could have responded more rapidly to humanitarian needs, including recent earthquake relief efforts.
While clarifying that no final decision has been made, Carney indicated that his government believes the current policy should be reconsidered.
“Moving in that direction is, in my judgment, a decision we need to make,” he said.
Canada severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012 under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, closing its embassy in Tehran and expelling Iranian diplomats from Ottawa amid escalating tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and the country’s support for Israel.
At the time, many analysts believed Harper acted due to Israeli influence.
Three years later, following the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signaled his intention to restore diplomatic relations, arguing that the prolonged closure of embassies had undermined political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
Despite several rounds of exploratory contacts during Trudeau’s tenure, diplomatic relations were never formally restored, leaving Canada without an embassy in Tehran for more than a decade.
Canada also suspended operations at its embassy in Caracas in 2019 after the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declined to renew visas for Canadian diplomats.
Carney said maintaining no diplomatic representation in countries with which Canada has profound political differences ultimately limits Ottawa’s ability to fulfill one of its most fundamental responsibilities—assisting Canadian citizens overseas.
“There are several countries with whom we don’t see eye to eye, to put it mildly, where we don’t have representation,” he said. “That puts us at a disadvantage, first and foremost, in helping Canadians who are in those countries.”
He added that Venezuela’s continuing humanitarian challenges underscore the importance of maintaining a diplomatic presence capable of responding quickly to emergencies.
Carney also disclosed that he held a phone conversation on Wednesday with President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed preparations for next month’s NATO summit as well as the latest developments in Iran and the broader Middle East. According to Carney, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior American officials also participated in the call.
If approved, reopening Canada’s embassies in Tehran and Caracas would mark a significant shift in Ottawa’s foreign policy, restoring diplomatic channels that have remained closed for years despite periodic calls for renewed engagement.
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