Washington, March 4 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the escalating Middle East conflict reflects the failure of the international rules-based order, warning that decades of diplomacy and sanctions have not succeeded in stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday during a press interaction in Sydney while on an overseas trip, Carney said the current crisis highlights how global institutions have struggled to contain Iran despite years of negotiations and international pressure.
“We do, however, take this position with regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order,” Carney said.
He noted that international mechanisms had attempted for years to curb Iran’s nuclear programme but had not succeeded.
“Despite decades of UN Security Council resolutions, the tireless work of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the succession of sanctions and diplomatic frameworks, Iran’s nuclear threat remains,” he said.
Carney reiterated Canada’s long-standing view that Iran has been a major destabilising force in the region.
“Canada has long seen Iran as the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East,” he said, adding that the regime and its proxies had caused widespread suffering.
“The regime and its proxies have murdered hundreds, including Canadian civilians, and caused untold suffering for millions of people in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.
Canada continues to support efforts aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, he added.
“We support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,” Carney said.
At the same time, he acknowledged concerns about how the latest escalation unfolded.
“And now the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting allies, including Canada,” he said.
Carney stressed that international law must guide the actions of all parties involved in the conflict.
“Canada reaffirms that international law binds all belligerents,” he said.
He condemned Iranian strikes on civilian targets across the region.
“We condemn the strikes carried out by Iran on civilians and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East,” he said.
He also urged restraint from all sides.
“We implore all parties, including the United States and Israel, to respect the rules of international engagement,” he said.
Carney called for an urgent reduction in hostilities and warned that the rapidly spreading conflict could endanger civilians.
“Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal,” he said.
He stressed that diplomacy remains the only viable path to ending the crisis.
“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,” he said.
The Middle East crisis has intensified following military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and escalating exchanges across the region, raising concerns about global security and energy markets.
Iran’s nuclear programme has been at the centre of international diplomacy for more than two decades, with negotiations, sanctions and monitoring efforts aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
--IANS
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