PM calls conflict a failure of international order in Sydney
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that the expanding Middle East conflict reflects a breakdown in the international order and that the United States did not consult allies before striking Iran. Speaking during a visit to Australia, Carney linked the crisis to long-running efforts by international institutions to restrain Iran’s nuclear program, arguing that years of resolutions and monitoring did not prevent the current escalation.
U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on Saturday after negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program stalled. Since then, the war has moved beyond Iran’s borders, with Iranian attacks hitting Gulf states including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, as well as U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Washington has closed diplomatic missions across the region in response to the security situation.
In a speech at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, Carney said, “The current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order,” citing decades of UN Security Council resolutions, the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and successive sanctions and diplomatic frameworks. He added that Iran’s nuclear threat remains and said the United States and Israel acted without engaging the UN or consulting allies, including Canada.
Canada urges rapid de-escalation and respect for rules of engagement
Carney said Canada is calling for calm and for a rapid reduction in hostilities. He said all parties engaged in fighting, including the United States and Israel, must respect international rules of engagement. “Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal,” he told reporters.
Asked about his earlier statements supporting the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force, Carney said the recent actions appear inconsistent with international law, while stopping short of making a definitive legal finding. He said it would be up to the United States and Israel to explain whether their actions align with international law, adding that the determination should be made by those with deeper expertise.
Carney says Ottawa was not briefed and would not have joined strikes
Carney said Canada was not informed in advance of the strikes and was not asked to participate. He said that even if asked, Canada would not have been in a position to make a judgment that met its standards under the circumstances. The comments underscore Ottawa’s effort to keep distance from the operational decision while still acknowledging the security rationale that Washington has cited.
After strikes began over the weekend, Carney said Canada supported the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to stop Iran’s regime from threatening international peace and security. His remarks on Wednesday drew a sharper line between support for the stated objective and criticism of process, consultation, and international legitimacy.
Australia trip frames Canada as a middle power building coalitions
Carney is traveling across the Asia-Pacific with stops that include Japan and India, and he used the Australia visit to frame Canada’s role as a middle power seeking partnerships that can act issue by issue. He described Canada’s strategy as building a dense web of connections and ad hoc coalitions with partners that share enough common ground to move together on specific challenges.
“In contrast, great powers can afford to go it alone,” Carney said, arguing that large states can use market size and military capacity to dictate terms in ways middle powers cannot. He said countries such as Canada must instead rely on cooperation and coalition building.
Carney’s office said ahead of the visit that Australia and Canada are expected to deepen cooperation in areas including defense and maritime security, critical minerals, trade, and artificial intelligence, as both governments look to strengthen ties between what Ottawa described as like-minded middle powers.