Canada PM Carney says he can t rule out military participation in Iran war

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Thursday, March 5, that he could not dismiss the possibility of Canada joining the military efforts in the growing conflict in the Middle East. His visit to Australia this week has been largely affected by the increasing war in the region, which was ignited by a significant US-Israeli attack on Iran that resulted in the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While speaking with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Carney was asked if there might be a situation that would lead Canada to get involved. He responded, "One can never categorically rule out participation," highlighting that the question was purely "hypothetical." Carney emphasized, "We will stand by our allies," and added, "we will always defend Canadians." He mentioned that the US-Israeli actions against Iran were "inconsistent with international law," but he supports the efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Carney expressed that Canada views this stance "with regret," seeing it as "another example of the failure of the international order." He reiterated his call for a "de-escalation" of the conflict on Thursday. This trip is part of a larger tour across the Asia-Pacific, aimed at decreasing reliance on the United States as a way to navigate what he describes as a weakening US-led global order.