Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed qualified support for recent military strikes on Iran while lamenting the deterioration of the international order during a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday.

“We are actively taking on the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be. But we also take this position with some regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order,” Carney told the audience at the prominent Australian think tank.

The prime minister emphasized that Canada was neither consulted nor invited to participate in the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28. “We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” he stated, adding that the actions appear “inconsistent with international law,” though he declined to make a definitive judgment on their legality.

Carney’s visit to Australia comes as part of a three-nation diplomatic and trade mission that began in India and will conclude in Japan. The tour highlights Canada’s efforts to strengthen economic and security ties in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing global instability.

In his address, Carney expanded on themes he first introduced at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, where he garnered significant attention for his assessment that the post-Cold War international order is undergoing fundamental transformation. He described the current geopolitical landscape as one where “hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws, while others bear the consequences.”

The Middle East situation exemplifies this disruption, according to Carney. Despite decades of United Nations efforts to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, “Iran’s nuclear threat remains and now the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the U.N. or consulting with allies including Canada,” he noted.

Canada’s stance toward Iran has been consistently firm. The two nations have not maintained diplomatic relations for 15 years, primarily due to Iran’s human rights record. Last year, Canada designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist entity, reflecting Ottawa’s concerns about Tehran’s regional activities and domestic policies.

Beyond geopolitical issues, Carney’s Australian visit has a significant economic focus. Both Canada and Australia possess vast reserves of critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies and advanced electronics. During his speech, Carney highlighted ongoing collaboration to build “the largest mineral reserve held by trusted democratic nations” – a clear reference to efforts by democratic countries to develop supply chains independent from China, which currently dominates many critical mineral markets.

The two Commonwealth nations are also exploring deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence and defense technologies, areas that have gained strategic importance amid rising tensions with China and Russia.

Carney is scheduled to address the Australian Parliament on Thursday before departing for Japan on Friday, the final leg of his Indo-Pacific tour.

This visit occurs at a critical juncture for both nations as they navigate complex relationships with China while strengthening ties with like-minded democracies. Australia has experienced significant trade tensions with Beijing in recent years, while Canada continues to manage fallout from the detention of Canadian citizens in China following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018.

Through this diplomatic tour, Carney appears to be positioning Canada as a reliable partner for democratic nations in an era of increasing geopolitical competition and eroding international norms. His measured criticism of unilateral actions in the Middle East while simultaneously affirming Canada’s support for countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions reflects the delicate balancing act many middle powers must perform in today’s fractured global landscape.