Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the escalating Iran conflict a serious failure of the global rules-based order. He said the United States did not consult its allies, including Canada, before launching strikes on Tehran.
Carney made these remarks during a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney while on an official visit to Australia. He said the crisis shows that international institutions have not been able to prevent major conflicts despite years of diplomacy, sanctions, and negotiations.
The conflict began after US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iran. The attacks followed the collapse of talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Since then, the fighting has spread across the region.
Iran has reportedly launched retaliatory attacks targeting Gulf countries, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have also faced threats, leading Washington to close several embassies in the region as a security measure.
Carney said that despite decades of resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council and monitoring efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the current war proves that global mechanisms have failed to stop escalation.
He stressed that military action should respect international law. He added that it appears the recent strikes may not align with established legal principles, though he said it is up to the United States and Israel to explain their legal justification.
The Canadian prime minister confirmed that Ottawa was not informed in advance about the strikes and was not asked to participate. He said Canada would not have been able to support such action without carefully reviewing whether it met Canadian standards and international obligations.
At the same time, Carney reiterated that Canada opposes Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. He said preventing nuclear proliferation remains important for global security.
He called for immediate de-escalation and urged all sides to avoid further widening the conflict. He said Canada stands ready to assist diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions.
Carney is currently on a multi-country tour across the Asia-Pacific region, including visits to Australia, Japan and India. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation between so-called middle powers in areas such as defence, maritime security, trade, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
