Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday lamented the “failure of the international order” that led to the ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Carney said in Sydney, Australia, that his country “has long seen Iran as the principle source of instability and terror in the Middle East.” The Canadian prime minister noted, though, that despite “more than two decades of negotiations and diplomatic efforts, Iran has not dismantled its nuclear program, nor halted its enrichment activities.”
“Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against the regime’s oppressive rule,” Carney added. “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.
“We do, however, take this position with regret, because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order.”
The U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a number of other top political and military leaders in the Middle Eastern country. Over 780 Iranians have been killed in the strikes as of 4:10 a.m. EST, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, and retaliation from Iran and its proxies has engulfed the region in conflict.
The joint operations came after U.S. and Iranian negotiators, mediated by Oman, discussed curbing Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile development on Thursday.
During his Tuesday speech, Carney noted that 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.”
The U.S. and Iran previously reached a deal to limit the latter’s nuclear program, in exchange for sanctions relief, with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. But President Trump removed the U.S. from that agreement during his first term.
Now that the conflict is underway, Carney called for a “rapid de-escalation of hostilities” and “commitment to a broader political solution.”
“Now, the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting allies, including Canada,” he added. “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.”
