OTTAWA — The United States and Israel do not have a “blank cheque” in their bombing campaign in Iran and are still bound by international law, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Friday as the war approached the seven-day mark.
“International law binds all parties and there is no blank cheque, in terms of the operation that is being undertaken,” Anand told reporters in a virtual news conference called to update efforts to help Canadians leave the region.
Anand scheduled a call on Friday with Liberal caucus members to provide them with information for constituents who are looking for assistance in the Middle East. The call was also expected to include discussion of the government’s position on the war itself.
Some caucus members have said publicly they’re uneasy with Prime Minister Mark Carney expressing support for Washington’s decision to launch the war last weekend.
While Anand said she welcomes a diversity of views among her caucus colleagues, she noted the two decades of talks aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
After the U.S. began its attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, Anand initially refused to say whether the American bombing campaign violated international law.
During a March 3 news conference in Australia, Carney said the airstrikes likely violate international law and he expressed his support for the mission with “regret.”
Other Liberal MPs like Will Greaves have said Canada can only defend its sovereignty and the principles of international law when it shows consistency.
The Conservatives say Ottawa is flip-flopping, while some analysts argue the Liberals are kowtowing to Washington in order to avoid a suspension of the CUSMA continental trade deal.
Others have questioned Ottawa’s push for diplomacy, arguing the Carney government has implicitly accepted the American claim that diplomacy wasn’t working to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
Anand responded to those concerns by citing international law and saying Ottawa is trying to help de-escalate the situation.
“The safety of civilians is of the utmost importance,” she said. “And in that vein, de-escalation is top of mind in every conversation that I have with our partners in the Middle East and the Gulf.”
She said Canada has sanctioned Iran’s leaders and participated in diplomatic measures aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program over the years.
“We believe in ensuring that we are doing our part for greater stability,” she said.
Anand also said she will wait to hear from Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, before commenting on the possibility of Canada helping Persian Gulf states defend themselves from Iranian bombing.
Speaking to reporters at a defence and security conference in Ottawa Thursday, Carignan said a meeting had been set for early Friday morning to discuss such a proposal among allied militaries and the Canadian Armed Forces would present a recommendation to the government.
Carignan said any assistance would be to help Gulf states defend themselves and it wasn’t known yet if they needed or wanted help.
Carney told reporters in Tokyo on Saturday — Friday in Canada — that there has been no request for Canadian military assistance and he doesn’t necessarily expect such requests.
The prime minister added that any decision would be taken by the government, not by the Armed Forces.
“We’re not engaged in the conflict. We do not intend to engage,” Carney said. “What we are doing, where we are engaged, is dealing with the consequences of the conflict, consequences that continue to spread in the region and, to some extent, beyond into the Indo-Pacific region.”
Asked how Canada could get involved, Carney said in French that he could envision a scenario where Canada provides defensive assistance to a NATO ally. He also said no such scenario exists at this time.
Carney said this week he couldn’t “categorically” rule out military participation in the escalating conflict in the event Canada is asked by allies to participate, but described the prospect as a “fundamental hypothetical.”
Culture Minister Marc Miller told reporters Friday in Montreal he backs Carney’s statements on the conflict.
“We support the statements of the prime minister and our No. 1 priority is to make sure that Canadians remain and stay safe,” he said.
More than 108,000 Canadians and permanent residents have registered with Global Affairs Canada in the region.
Canada has about 200 military members in the Middle East and Anand said there is no imminent plan for Canadian troops or ships to take an active role in the conflict.
“We are not anticipating military involvement at this time,” she said.
On Thursday, Kuwait activated its air defence systems after missiles were fired toward the country.
Videos posted on social media reportedly show an explosion at the Ali al-Salem Air Base, though the U.S. air force had not confirmed such an incident Friday.
Canada has an operational support hub at that base, according to regulatory records.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2026.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
