OTTAWA (EJP)---Canada said it is severing all diplomatic ties with Iran, shutting its embassy in Tehran and expelling all Iranian diplomats from Canadian territory. 

“Canada views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today,” the Canadian government said in a statement.

According to Canadian news reports,  the sudden and unilateral move to cut off all direct diplomatic ties with Tehran was the product of a calculation in Ottawa: that keeping Canadian diplomats there as dangers increase could no longer be justified, given that poor relations with Iran Tehran already made it almost impossible for them to do useful work.

The possibility of an Israeli or U.S. military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities raised concerns that Canadian diplomats could be targeted for reprisals after an attack because of Ottawa’s staunch support of Israel and tough stand on Iran.

Britain closed its embassy after it was stormed last November by demonstrators whose actions the Iranian regime was believed to have sanctioned.

The government also worried the diplomats could be at risk as Canada ratchets up measures against Tehran – including declaring it a “state sponsor of terrorism” on Friday under a new law designed to help victims of terrorists.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, speaking at the Asia-Pacific summit in Vladivostok, Russia, said the step was taken not only because of concerns for diplomats’ safety, but in response to several issues, including Iran’s support for Syria’s Assad regime, the “military dimension” of its nuclear program and its backing of terrorist groups.

“There’s just a long list of reasons why we’re coming to this decision,” he said.

“We felt that it’s simply no longer safe to have representatives of the government of Canada in Tehran,” he added.  “Iran has a very bad track record about how it deals with diplomats from countries it doesn’t like,” he said.

He noted Canada’s embassy is on a busy street, while the British embassy stormed last year was a fortified compound.

In New York, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) praised the Canadian government’s  decision and called on other countries to follow suit.

“Canada’s principled stand against the belligerent Iranian regime has set a new example of leadership, integrity and principle for the international community to emulate. Once again, Canada has taken the lead in providing an example for other countries, reinforcing a clear message to the Iranian regime that their nuclear activity and violent anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric will no longer be tolerated by the community of nations,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, in a statement.