Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday reaffirmed Canada’s support for US and Israeli efforts to end the nuclear and terrorist threats in Iran, but added that it was a position taken with “regret” and suggested that the decision to attack Iran was “inconsistent with international law.”
Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Australia, on his three-nation international tour, Carney said the escalating conflict in the Middle East is “another example of the failure of the international system” he warned about in his widely watched speech at Davos in January.
“We support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from continuing to threaten international peace and security,” he said. “Because Canada takes the world as it is, it doesn’t just wait for the country we want to be.
“However, we take this position with regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order,” Carney continued.
He noted in particular the failure of the US and Israel to cooperate with the United Nations or allies “including Canada” before attacking Iran on Saturday.
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“We were not notified in advance. We were not asked to participate. Prima facia, it seems that these actions are not in accordance with international law,” he said.
“We took a position because we consider the nuclear threat and the export of terrorism to Iran over the decades as one of the biggest threats to international peace and security. … In that limited sense, we supported that aspect.
“That’s not a blank check,” Carney continued. “That’s not us taking part, that’s not us asking for something in exchange for that – none of that is true. That’s just a direct position.”
Carney later confirmed that he did not consider Iran’s nuclear program an “imminent threat,” but said a nuclear-armed Iran “would be a serious threat” and pointed to the regime’s support for terrorism and the many failed international efforts to end the program.
“Nobody has a nuclear weapons program buried a mile under the desert. So that’s a threat,” he said. “The exact time, the aspect of it, I don’t know all the details about that.”
Although he condemned Iran’s strikes on neighboring Gulf countries that hit civilian infrastructure and killed civilians, he did not condemn the US and Israeli strikes, instead urging “all sides” to “respect the rules of international engagement.”
“Canada wants the immediate elimination of the enemy and is willing to help achieve this goal,” he added.
“The resolution of this problem will require a commitment to a comprehensive political solution, and diplomatic dialogue is essential to avoid a wider and deeper conflict. Innocent civilians must be protected, and all parties must commit to finding lasting agreements to end both nuclear proliferation and terrorist intensification. Canada will pursue this path with like-minded countries and participants in this conflict.”
More to come…
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