Canada to lift some sanctions on Iran in wake of nuclear deal

OTTAWA — Maintaining sanctions on Iran would only hurt Canadian companies such as Montreal-based airplane manufacturer Bombardier, says Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion.

Dion said Tuesday that Canada will lift a series of sanctions on Iran, while leaving some others in place, following that country’s historic nuclear deal with six major western powers this month.

That’s the same approach followed by Canada’s allies, including the United States and the European Union.

Iran is anxious to do business with the West, as its president tours Europe, signing deals and looking for new ones. That includes buying aircraft; Iran has said it will buy jets from the French consortium Airbus.

“If Airbus is able to do it, why Bombardier would not be able to do it?” Dion said. “In which way [is it] helping Canada, or the Iranian people, or Israel, or anyone that Canada is hurting its own industry?”

The opposition Conservatives continue to push the Liberals to maintain a hardline policy toward Iran, including sanctions and keeping its embassy shuttered in Tehran.

“The intention of the federal Liberal government to lift sanctions against Iran is 180 degrees in the wrong direction,” said Conservative foreign affairs critic Tony Clement.

He said Canadian companies “can find plenty of other places in the world to do business where the country is not a state sponsor of terrorism.”

The ex-Conservative government severed relations with Iran in 2012 and expelled Iranian diplomats from Canada.

Dion said Canada would be isolated from allies if it maintained sanctions against Iran.

“When you have a disagreement with a regime … you work hard to be sure that you will see improvement,” said Dion.

Dion also has said the time has come to open diplomatic dialogue with Russia, prompting more criticism from Tory MPs, whose former government shunned Russia because of its actions in Ukraine.