Italy's then ambassador to Libya, Giuseppe Perrone, holds a press conference after the embassy reopened at the Red Castle in the capital Tripoli on Jan 10, 2017. (PHOTO / AFP)

TEHRAN - Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned on Tuesday Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Perrone as representative of Canadian interests in Iran to transmit Tehran's protest over Ottawa's "violations" of rights of Iranian residents in its territory.

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Perrone was informed by the director-general for America's affairs in the Ministry of Iran the protest over "human rights abuses by the government of Canada and their hypocrisy in relation to the observance of citizenship and consular rights of Iranian nationals residing in Canada," the Ministry's website reported.

Iran's official strongly criticized the Canadian government's "continued disregard" for requests to establish a consulate or a section of Iranian interests in Canada.

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The Iranian official also slammed Canadian authorities for having turned their country into a "safe haven for economic corrupters and financial criminals throughout the world."