Mark Carney says Canada backs U.S. action on Iran, but won't get involved
· Toronto Sun
Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada supports the U.S. action in Iran, but added that the country will not get involved in the conflict.
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During a speech at the Canada-India Growth and Investment Forum in Mumbai on Saturday, Carney addressed the joint U.S.-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from threatening international peace and security,” Carney said in India, where he is on a four-day trade mission.
PM doesn’t expect Canadian military involvement
In response to a question from a reporter about Canada’s involvement going forward, t he prime minister said, “We have not been party to the military buildup to this or the military planning of this. So it is not envisioned that we would be part of it moving forward,”
An earlier statement released by Carney and F oreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada has “consistently” called upon the Iranian regime to end its nuclear program, stating that the Islamic Republic “must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.
“Despite numerous diplomatic efforts, Iran has neither fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups,” the statement said.
The statement also urged all parties involved to protect civilian lives and said the federal government will “ take all possible measures to protect our nationals and Canadian diplomatic missions throughout the region.”
Canadians warned to be vigilant
That said, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police warned Canadians to be vigilant , but said there was no current intelligence warning of problems as the airstrikes in Iran entered a second day.
“Experience shows that periods of geopolitical tension can sometimes inspire extremist networks, hate-motivated individuals or proxy-related threat actors to exploit these situations to incite hate-fuelled violence,” the association said, via The Canadian Press. “While there is no specific threat at this time, awareness and early reporting are essential components of prevention.”
The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran Saturday that left Khamenei dead. Iran has retaliated with missiles and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.
Hundreds of thousands of stranded travellers have been left scrambling as the conflict spills over, shutting down much of the Middle East to air travel.
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Flights cancelled to Tel Aviv, other regions
Air Canada cancelled flights from Canada to Tel Aviv until March 8 and halted air travel to Dubai until Tuesday.
“If you are in either of these regions, please do not head to the airport,” the airline warned.
Pearson International Airport warned of delays and cancellations due to widespread airspace closures and advised passengers to check their flight status before coming to the airport.
The conflict has shut down airports and international airspace above Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Officials at Dubai International Airport said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.
Canada warned people to avoid all travel to much of the Middle East, including Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iran, Syria and Yemen.
Canadians were also warned to avoid non-essential travel to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
— With files from The Canadian Press.