Manny Ita –
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has criticized the ongoing military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel, describing the conflict as evidence of a breakdown in the global diplomatic system.
Speaking during a visit to Sydney, Australia, Carney said the situation reflects the “failure of the international order,” even as he reiterated Canada’s longstanding concerns about Iran’s role in regional instability.
“Canada has long seen Iran as the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East,” Carney said, noting that despite more than two decades of negotiations and diplomatic efforts, the country has not dismantled its nuclear program or halted uranium enrichment activities.
He added that Canada continues to support efforts aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while also expressing sympathy for Iranian citizens opposing their government.
“Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against the regime’s oppressive rule,” Carney said. “Which is why we support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security. Because Canada is actively taking on the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be.”
The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets over the weekend, an operation that reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior political and military officials.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, more than 780 people had been killed in the strikes as of early Tuesday morning. The attacks have triggered retaliatory actions from Iran and allied militias across the Middle East, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
The joint military action came shortly after negotiations between U.S. and Iranian representatives, mediated by Oman, aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile development.
Carney noted that years of diplomatic pressure have failed to resolve the nuclear dispute, despite interventions from international institutions.
“Despite decades of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the tireless work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a succession of sanctions and diplomatic frameworks, Iran’s nuclear threat remains,” he said.
The dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities has persisted since the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear deal that restricted Iran’s program in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement unraveled after Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the pact during his first presidential term.
As hostilities escalate, Carney urged restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement to prevent the conflict from spreading further across the region.
“Now, the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting allies, including Canada,” he said. “Diplomatic engagement is essential to avoid a wider and deeper conflict. Innocent civilians must be protected, and all parties must commit to finding enduring agreements to end both nuclear proliferation and terrorist extremism.”
