Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the conflict in Iran highlights a growing erosion of international norms as major powers increasingly act outside traditional global frameworks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that the ongoing war involving Iran reflects a broader breakdown in the international order, warning that global powers are increasingly acting without regard for established international norms or legal frameworks.
Carney made the remarks during a speech at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute as part of the Australian portion of a three-nation trip focused on trade and geopolitical cooperation. The visit began in India and will continue with a stop in Japan after Carney addresses Australia’s Parliament on Thursday.
During the speech, Carney described the Middle East conflict as a visible example of a changing global landscape in which traditional rules governing international conduct are weakening.
“Geo-strategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,” Carney said.
The Canadian leader’s comments expanded on themes he raised earlier this year during a widely discussed address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In that speech, Carney argued that the rules-based international order that has shaped global relations for decades is undergoing significant disruption.
Carney said Canada continues to support international efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and from threatening regional or global security.
“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,” he said.
He also pointed to decades of United Nations diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing Iran’s nuclear program, noting that those initiatives had not eliminated the perceived threat.
Despite those efforts, Carney said the current military confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran has unfolded without formal consultation with the United Nations or several allied nations, including Canada.
“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 said.
Carney declined to directly characterize whether the U.S. and Israeli strikes violated international law, stating that determining that issue would be left to others.
“Whether the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran broke international law was a judgment for others to make,” he said.
The Canadian prime minister’s visit to Australia also focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in several strategic sectors. Officials from both governments are working to deepen collaboration in areas including critical mineral development, artificial intelligence and defense technologies.
Carney’s broader message during the trip emphasized the shifting geopolitical environment facing Western nations and the challenges associated with maintaining international stability amid rising tensions and evolving power dynamics.
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