In rare call with Iran, Canada says many questions on plane crash need to be answered

Canada's foreign minister held a rare call with his Iranian counterpart to stress the country's desire to investigate Wednesday's plane crash in Iran that killed 176 people, including 63 Canadians, according to a statement.

"Minister Champagne stressed the need for Canadian officials to be quickly granted access to Iran to provide consular services, help with identification of the deceased and take part in the investigation of the crash," the statement said.

"Canada and Canadians have many questions that will need to be answered." The two spoke late on Wednesday, but the statement was released on Thursday. Canada has had no diplomatic relations with Iran since 2012.