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Iran has termed Canada’s suspension of diplomatic ties with the country as a “hostile” measure, Xinhua reported.

According to Iran’s state-run Press TV, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chief of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran’s Majlis (parliament), said Canada’s suspension of ties with Iran was a “hostile” decision.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also said Canada had taken “various hostile measures” against Iran and Iranians living in Canada.

The “hostile” attitude of the contemporary government of Canada towards Iranians was in complicit with the policies of Britain and Israel, Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

The remarks by the Iranian leaders came after Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird announced Friday that Canada has suspended its diplomatic relations with Iran and instructed Iranian diplomats in Canada to leave within five days.

“Canada has closed its embassy in Iran, effective immediately, and declared personae non gratae all remaining Iranian diplomats in Canada,” Xinhua quoted Baird as saying.

He said Canada views the government of Iran as the biggest threat to global peace and security in the world today, and criticised Tehran on issues like the Syrian crisis and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Boroujerdi said Canada was “blindly” following Britain in closing down its embassy in Tehran, Press TV said.

In November 2011, Britain closed its embassy in Tehran after angry Iranian demonstrators broke into two British compounds, burning British flags and a car, following Iran’s decision to downgrade its ties with Britain in response to its sanctions against Tehran.

“The British government certainly seeks to lead its friends to the same path that it had taken. Therefore, this decision was in fact blind acquiescence by the Canadian government,” Boroujerdi was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Iran will consider Canada’s measure of suspending its diplomatic ties and “the Islamic republic will make the best decision in this regard”, Mansour Haqiqatpour, another Iranian lawmaker, was quoted as saying.

Iranian officials have further linked Canada’s suspension of ties to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit recently held in the Iranian capital, saying the summit was a “defeat” to Canada.

Boroujerdi said Canada sought to undermine the significance of the NAM summit, and the government’s decision was a reaction to Iran’s “success” in holding the summit, Press TV reported.

“It is necessary for the (Iranian) foreign ministry to respond to the measures taken by Canada according to the national interests,” Boroujerdi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

He said “the first step can be to expel the staff of Canadian embassy in Tehran from the country”. (IANS)