NEW DELHI — After Canada threw it support behind the United States’ attacks on Iran, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says it still wants to see a “diplomatic solution” to resolve the unfolding war.
The minister made the comments at the end of a day of meetings in New Delhi on Monday, as Prime Minister Mark Carney departed for Australia without taking questions from journalists, cancelling a scheduled news conference. While in India, Carney threw Canada’s support behind the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As Carney faces questions over Canada’s position, it was confirmed to journalists travelling as part of his delegation that he would not be immediately available upon landing in Sydney, citing previously made personal commitments and having to prepare for the rest of his trip, which will include more business meetings and an address to Australia’s parliament, before leaving for Japan.
Carney arrived in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon local time, which in Ottawa is Monday evening.
That left Anand to outline Canada’s rationale for backing the U.S. Iran strikes. The initial statement from the Prime Minister’s Office pointed to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, saying “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”
The minister told reporters that she had spent the past two days speaking to her counterparts in the Middle East and Gulf states, as well as in the G7.
She said those conversations involved Canada “stressing that Canada believes in a diplomatic and peaceful solution, and as soon as possible, we would like parties to get to the table.”
Anand added that those talks “have yielded differing responses.”
“Some countries believe that a diplomatic solution is not possible at this time. Others want to work as quickly as possible to ensure diplomacy becomes the next phase of this horrific situation.”
The minister says Canada has always stood with the Iranian people and cited how it instituted some 500 sanctions against its regime.
Anand did not directly say whether she believed the attacks on Iran to be legal under international law.
Meanwhile, a Liberal MP took to social media this past weekend to express his opposition to Canada’s position on the strikes, pointing to Carney’s internationally applauded speech at the World Economic Forum last month, where the prime minister outlined the importance of sovereignty and standing against “hegemons.”
“Canada cannot endorse the unilateral and illegal use of military force, the killing of civilians, or the kidnap and assassination of foreign heads of government, while also insisting that our sovereignty, our rights, and our independence must be respected,” Will Greaves, Liberal MP for Victoria, said in a video posted to Instagram.
“All states have an obligation to protect civilian life, and no state has the right to wage aggressive war.”
For his part, Carney addressed the situation in Iran several days earlier while speaking at an event for Canadian and Indian business leaders in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, where he ruled out any role for Canada in a combat role.
Anand reiterated that during her recent appearance before reporters.
“Canada wasn’t involved. We weren’t notified, and we do not have an intention to be involved in any military strikes or operation.”
As the reports of the U.S.-Israel strikes began trickling last weekend, a scramble was made to procure phones that had been tucked away on Carney’s government aircraft while officials, the prime minister and other ministers were in India.
“The Government of Canada follows strong information security precautions for all official travel abroad, including specifically for abroad, including specifically for non-Five Eyes countries, and offers similar guidance and support to accompanying members of the media,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“In view of unfolding events in the Middle East, certain government telecommunications devices were moved by Canadian security officials from where they were being stores in case of needed on an emergency basis.”
It also apologized for security officials “inadvertently” moving phones that belonged to the travelling press.
-National Post, with additional reporting from The Canadian Press
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