March 5, 2026
By Micah Jonah
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has said he cannot completely rule out Canada’s military participation in the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Carney, who spoke in Canberra alongside Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described any potential involvement as hypothetical but noted that Canada would stand by its allies if necessary.
“One can never categorically rule out participation,” he said, adding that Canada would always defend its citizens, support its partners.
The Canadian leader had earlier stated that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran appeared to be inconsistent with international law. He said Canada was neither informed in advance nor asked to participate in the attacks.
“We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” Carney told reporters, adding that the actions were carried out without engaging the United Nations or consulting allies, including Canada.
He, however, said whether international law had been breached was a matter for further judgement, while condemning strikes on civilians and urging all parties to respect international rules of engagement.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Anita Anand, disclosed that more than 2,000 Canadians in the Middle East had requested government assistance to leave the region since the outbreak of hostilities.
She said about half of the requests came from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, with others from Qatar, Lebanon, Israel and Iran.
Anand added that the government was working to arrange chartered evacuation flights from the UAE, subject to approval from local authorities.
The conflict has significantly disrupted air travel across the Middle East, with major hubs, including Dubai International Airport, experiencing severe operational limitations.
Commercial flights across much of the region remain largely suspended, prompting several countries to organise repatriation efforts for their citizens.
