️ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that he could not rule out his country's military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East, after earlier declaring that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were "inconsistent with international law". Speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Thursday, Carney was questioned about potential scenarios for Canadian involvement. "One can never categorically rule out participation," Carney said, describing the inquiry as "hypothetical".
️ Carney added that "we will stand by our allies" and "always defend Canadians". However, he had previously expressed support for the strikes on Iran "with some regret", characterizing them as an extreme example of a fracturing world order. The Canadian leader also emphasized that his country was not informed in advance of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, in his first comments since the conflict erupted on Saturday.
️ According to Carney, "The United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada." He also condemned strikes on civilians in Iran and called for "all parties to respect the rules of international engagement". Whether the US and Israeli attacks on Iran had violated international law was "a judgement for others to make", he further noted.
️ Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced on Wednesday that efforts are underway to assist more than 2,000 Canadians who have requested government help to evacuate the Middle East region since the war broke out on Saturday. Anand reported that approximately half of all assistance inquiries came from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, over 230 from Qatar, at least 160 from Lebanon, more than 90 from Israel, and 74 from Iran.
️ The Canadian Foreign Ministry has been instructed to contract charter flights out of the UAE in the coming days, contingent on approval from the UAE government to use its airspace. Commercial air traffic remains largely absent across much of the region, with major Gulf hubs—including Dubai, the world's busiest airport for international passengers—largely shut down amid the conflict, marking the most significant travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic. Repatriation flights chartered by foreign governments, such as those of Britain and France, were scheduled to depart on Wednesday and Thursday, while the UAE opened safe air corridors to facilitate the return of some citizens.
Source: www.aljazeera.com