John Mundy is a former Canadian diplomat with 31 years of experience in the Federal Public Service. Before retiring in 2008, he held senior diplomatic appointments in Trinidad and Tobago, Iran and Australia. In 2007 John was appointed Canadian Ambassador to Iran during a very difficult time in bilateral relations. At the end of that year, when attempts to agree upon a reciprocal exchange of Ambassadors between Iran and Canada failed, he was expelled by President Ahmadinejad and diplomatic relations were down-graded. He is now writing a book about his experience. He writes and speaks about Iran in the Ottawa Citizen, the Globe and Mail and CBC.

Earlier in his career he held policy positions with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Environment Canada, the Asian Development Bank and Canada’s Export Development Corporation. Besides working on Iran and Middle Eastern diplomacy, Mr. Mundy worked on financing the sale of the CANDU reactor to China in 1999; he was the public face of Canada during the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000; and, he assisted Minister Stephan Dion in 2006 when he chaired the UN Conference on Climate Change in Montreal and successfully brought the Kyoto Protocol into effect.

He has an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from Queens University, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and a French certificate from the Universite de Dijon in France.

Publications, Media and Speeches

Canada’s Iran Policy: ‘Reckless Rhetoric’ and More Out of Step Than Ever“,  op-ed,  The Globe and Mail, 19/06/2014

Can ISIS bring the U.S. and Iran together?“, table ronde radiodiffusée, CBC Radio: The Current, 18/06/2014

Canada’s Response to Iran Nuclear Deal“, television interview, CBC Power and Politics, 23/11/2013 (view related blog post: “As Iran Opens to the World, Canada is Left Behind)

“Iran and Afghanistan”,  Atlantic Council of Canada Fall Conference: Afghanistan Post 2014, Panel III, 19/11/2013

“Iran: Challenges and Policies”, Speaker, National Capital  Branch of Canadian International Council, 16/10/2013

Iran’s Diplomatic Opening is a test of intentions“,  op-ed,  The Globe and Mail, 30/09/2013

Has the Election of a New Iranian President Changed Anything?“, radio panel discussion, BBC World Service Radio : World Have Your Say, 17/06/2013

Iran’s Nuclear Gamble, Canada, and Obama’s Second Term“, Policy Brief, Centre for International Policy Studies, March 2013

Canada’s Last Ambassador to Iran warns of Nuclear Crisis“, interview, Regina’s Leader Post, 25/01/2013

War with Iran would be a Colossal Mistake“, op-ed., Calgary Herald, 17/01/2013

Iran Nuclear Gamble: Canada and Obama’s Second Term“, speaking tour with the Canadian International Council,
Vancouver  14/01/2013
Victoria 16/01/2013
Calgary 21/01/2013
Saskatoon 23/01/2013
Regina 24/01/2013

Iran Nuclear Gamble: Canada and Obama’s Second Term“, co-presented with Peter Jones, public lecture, Center for International Policy Studies, televised by CPAC, 23/11/2012

The Iranians we left behind“, op-ed., The Globe and Mail, 25/10/2012

Canada Departs Iran: Folly or Foresight?“, speech to Albany Club of Toronto, 27/09/2012

Grave diplomatic decision?“, television interview, Sun News Network, 11/09/2012

“Iran-Canada Relations: Canada’s Juridical Remedies and Diplomatic Options in Dealing with Iran”, co-presented with Professor Irwin Cotler, MP, and Professor Saeid Mirzaei, panel discussion, University of Ottawa’s Iranian Law Student Society, 06/11/2013

Cutting off Tehran looks like a mistake“, op-ed., The Globe and Mail, 10/09/2012

Ending diplomatic ties with Iran“, radio interview, CBC Radio, The Current, 10/09/2012

Why cut ties with Iran now?“, television interview, CBC News, The National, aired 10/09/2012

Diplomatic repercussions?“, television interview, CBC News, The National, aired 09/09/2012

Why Canada severed relations with Iran“, quoted in online article, CBC News, 08/09/2012

Canada cuts diplomatic relations with Iran“, radio interview, Radio Canada International, 07/09/2012

Shock over gov’t decision to cut ties“, television interview, CTV News, Canada AM, 06/09/2012

Iran: Confrontation or Negotiation?”, Speech to Middle East Study Group, Canadian International Council, Ottawa, 30/04/2012

“Prospects for Diplomacy with Iran”, Speech to Middle East Discussion Group, Ottawa 29/03/2012

Tone down the Rhetoric on Iran”, op-ed., The Globe and Mail, 23/02/2012

“Iran”, Speech to the Ottawa Rotary Club, 20/01/2012

“The Issues behind the Controversy”, Ottawa Citizen, 05/02/2011

“Raising Canada’s Diplomatic Game”, Canadian Government Executive, April/2010

“This Time its Different”, Ottawa Citizen, 19/06/2009

“Canada and Iran” Speech to CSDS, Ottawa, 08/04/2009

“Why Negotiating with Iran won’t be Easy”, Ottawa Citizen, 26/02/2009