[MP-Ryan]

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Canada+cuts+ties+with+Iran+closes+embassy+orders+Iranian/7206116/story.html

Embassy closed as of today, all embassy staffed recalled within 5 days.  Our government is getting serious about this.

[Dragon]

That doesn't bode well. I guess they want to scram before missiles start flying.

[haloboy100]

Being Canadian, I feel bad that I'm missing the context of this action - why is this happening? What's happening in Iran right now?

Before someone asks - yes, I am very uninformed about global politics.

Possible side question - is this related to the Arab Spring movement?

[Dragon]

Let's say that Iran has recently started pissing off most of the big, important countries, and Canada is no exception. Since there was already some bad blood between them, I guess they decided to take no chances, especially that Iran isn't exactly known to keep in line with international conventions, including Vienna Convention (which deals with protection of diplomats on foreign soil).
Not to mention Iran also pissed off US and Israel (and the rest of the world don't take kindly to it, either), which means we might see a war with Iran soon. Missiles will fly, maybe even nukes (I hope they won't though, but you don't really know with Israel), and Iran won't exactly be the best place to be for a couple of diplomats.

[jr2]

Israel won't fire nukes unless they are in threat of annihilation by conventional or other means, or maybe if someone set of a WMD in one of their cities and they knew who did it. 

[Dragon]

Well, seeing as Iran does have some sort of nuclear program, and Israel is too powerful for it to have chance in a conventional confrontation (Iranians have mostly Cold War-era Soviet and US stuff), I'm afraid it might come to this. Iran launches a rusty SCUD with an experimental warhead, Israel reduces Iranian cities to glassy craters. If there's an Iran-Israel war, it's going to go ugly really quickly.

[TwentyPercentCooler]

Yeah, Israel doesn't really have much choice, if it comes to war. They have great equipment (that the U.S. sold them) but they're hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded by enemies. They're like a cornered animal, unpredictable and dangerous. If they feel threatened, they'd be the country most likely to nuke first and deal with the backlash later.

Not saying I agree (I don't), but I can understand their position.

[haloboy100]

Then again, Israel has fought tons of wars and skirmishes throughout their existence from their neighboring enemies that surround them, and won, or at least prevented a sizable defeat.

[Scotty]

The "hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded" has been the state of Israel for decades.  The last several times anyone tried anything, it ended badly for the people trying.  Israel knows this, Iran knows this.  Israel, whatever else they may be, are not bat**** insane when it comes to matters of WMDs.  If someone takes the first step, I doubt it'd be them.

[bobbtmann]

The Harper government is probably trying to look strong and proactive (as a leader should ) on the world stage. Too bad they couldn't take that stance with environmental issues.

[Thaeris]

The warmongers are going to start something, no doubt about it. Either we will force them (Iran) to do it, or they will be made to look as agressors. I think you have to be absolutely nuts to think Iran would just attack and expect to endure the coming war - you may not approve of their theocracy at all, but they're not insane or stupid. And we most definatly should not go to war, especially now. It almost makes you think they're trying to kill the economy on purpose...

[MP-Ryan]

The Harper government is probably trying to look strong and proactive (as a leader should ) on the world stage. Too bad they couldn't take that stance with environmental issues.

Believe it or not, while CEAA and the habitat provisions of the Fisheries Act took a ****-kicking in the June budget (as did Fisheries and Oceans), the provisions of the Fisheries Act that deal with water quality (subsection 36(3)) actually benefited from increased penalties.  We went from $300,000 max summary conviction to minimum $100,000 and maximum $4 million - fine portions only.  That affects response to everything from oil spills to chlorinated water releases.

Not saying more can't be done, but environment was a mixed bag in the last budget.  Just FYI.

[Unknown Target]

The warmongers are going to start something, no doubt about it. Either we will force them (Iran) to do it, or they will be made to look as agressors. I think you have to be absolutely nuts to think Iran would just attack and expect to endure the coming war - you may not approve of their theocracy at all, but they're not insane or stupid. And we most definatly should not go to war, especially now. It almost makes you think they're trying to kill the economy on purpose...

I feel so powerless with the idea that my country (US) could be dragged into yet another war by it's government without listening to the people. :\

[Bobboau]

Israel won't fire nukes unless they are in threat of annihilation by conventional or other means, or maybe if someone set of a WMD in one of their cities. 

FTFY