Canada was sidelined on the Iran strikes, yet Mark Carney is still flirting with joining a war he’s labeled illegal

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that Canada cannot rule out military involvement in the escalating war in the Middle East. This is a striking statement, especially given his earlier remarks that the US-Israeli attacks on Iran appear to be “inconsistent with international law.”

Speaking in Canberra, Australia, alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Carney was directly asked about a possible Canadian military role. According to Al Jazeera,  he made it clear that “one can never categorically rule out participation,” though he did call the question “hypothetical.” He added, “We will stand by our allies,” and that Canada “will always defend Canadians.”

Before these comments, Carney had expressed support for the strikes on Iran “with some regret,” describing them as an extreme example of a “rupturing world order.” He was direct about the legality of the strikes, noting that “prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law.”

Canada was kept in the dark about the US-Israeli strikes and is now navigating a difficult legal and military position

Carney also said Canada was not warned about the US-Israeli attack, which began on Saturday. “We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” he told reporters. He added that “The United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada.” He did note that determining whether these actions broke international law was “a judgement for others to make.”

Carney also condemned strikes on civilians in Iran and called for “all parties… to respect the rules of international engagement,” stressing the importance of humanitarian conduct during the conflict. The war has already seen deeply troubling incidents, including an attack on an Iranian school that each side blamed on the others.

Meanwhile, Canada is working to help its citizens in the region. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed that efforts are underway to assist over 2,000 Canadians who have reached out for help since the war began. Requests for assistance are coming from across the Middle East, with about half from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, and others from Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran.

Anand said the Canadian Foreign Ministry has been instructed to arrange charter flights out of the UAE in the coming days, subject to approval from the UAE government to use its airspace. The conflict has also had unexpected military dimensions, with Iran drawing attention for using decoy helicopters to drain Israeli missiles.

The conflict has caused major travel disruption across the region. Key Gulf airport hubs, including Dubai, normally one of the busiest international airports in the world, are largely shut down. Other governments, including Britain and France, have also arranged repatriation flights, and the UAE has opened some air corridors to help its own citizens return home.