The shooting of Iranian national Kayvan Tabesh by the Canadian police on July 4 seems to have strained relations between the two countries. The fact that Tabesh's killing comes on the heels of the recent death of the Canada-based Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi has further complicated the political crisis.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Friday asked the Canadian government to conduct a thorough investigation of Tabesh's death.

Kharrazi stressed that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will seriously follow up the issue, adding that the Canadian government did not carry out its diplomatic obligation to promptly inform Tehran about the incident.

Tabesh, 18, who had entered Canada two years ago, was shot dead by a policeman in British Columbia. The Canadian police claim that Tabesh was wielding a machete and had tried to attack the police to justify their killing of the Iranian teenager.

Ottawa is trying to portray Tabesh as someone who was disturbing the peace. In fact, Canada is trying to justify the brutal murder and absolve the Canadian government of its responsibility in the matter.

The Canadian press has tried to draw a parallel between Kazemi's death and the fatal shooting of Tabesh. However, Kharrazi quickly responded, saying Tehran saw no analogy.

This analogy is even more unreasonable in light of the fact that a Canadian policeman shot and killed an Iranian national without due cause.

The Canadian government is yet to provide Iran with a clear and persuasive explanation of the death of Tabesh.

However, the Canadian police and government's efforts to distort the facts about the incident will do nothing to decrease their responsibility to launch a serious probe of the issue.

Iran feels obliged to defend the rights of its nationals everywhere in the world, the same way it has been dealing with the case of Kazemi's death. Therefore, Kharrazi's remarks manifest Tehran's strong determination to follow up the murder of Tabesh.