The war that the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on February 28 has once again put Prime Minister Mark Carney and his foreign affairs team to the test. Having previously refused to take any meaningful action against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Carney has again declined to stand on what many see as the right side of history.
On the first day of the war, as news broke of a U.S. and Israeli attack on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab that killed more than 150 students, Carney did not condemn the assault. Instead, in an official statement, he said: “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
This position came despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s and his Department of War’s assertion in June 2025 that all of Iran’s nuclear facilities had been destroyed. Moreover, the International Atomic Energy Agency has never confirmed that Iran was seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
In the days that followed, while visiting East Asia and Australia, Carney reiterated, “We will stand by our allies.” His criticism of the war, when it came, was muted and limited to concerns about the U.S. lack of consultation with allies and international institutions.
Carney’s support for the U.S.-Israeli colonial war comes at a time when public opinion in Canada is moving in the opposite direction. A Leger poll in March found that nearly six in 10 Canadians (58 per cent) oppose the U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran, while only 25 per cent support it.
When a majority of Canadians oppose this war, the question is whether Carney and his government will listen to the people or continue to support a U.S. president who has repeatedly expressed interest in annexing Canada and annihilating Iranian civilization. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, America’s partner in this war, is also wanted by the International Criminal Court.
Carney’s record is not encouraging, as the experience of Gaza and the West Bank suggests that Canada’s political leadership has consistently ignored public demands.
Over two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, human rights groups and anti-war activists repeatedly called on the federal government to halt all direct and indirect military support for Israel.
On March 11, the Arms Embargo Now Coalition condemned the Liberal government after the House of Commons voted down Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, that would have closed a major loophole allowing Canadian military exports to reach Israel if they first transit through the United States.
Calling the vote a “litmus test,” Rachel Small, a spokesperson for the Arms Embargo Now campaign, said the Carney government had an opportunity to align arms exports with international law and human rights, but “instead chose to align itself with Trump … fueling Israel’s wars.”
Now, once again, Carney and his administration are standing with whom they call their “allies” instead of their own people. The “ally” Carney invokes most often is Donald Trump, who launched a tariff war against Canada and repeatedly referred to the Canadian prime ministers as his “governor.”
Given this, Canadians may reasonably ask what Carney’s response would be if Trump’s threats against Canada turn into action.
Carney has, so far, supported U.S. actions in Iran, including the assassination of its political and military leadership. He also called the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro “good news”. And on Cuba, he has remained silent about the U.S. fuel blockade, despite its role in sparking a humanitarian crisis on the island.
What image of Canada is he projecting globally by affirming colonial wars and genocides?
Carney and his team should not forget that history will judge the events unfolding today. Just as we now judge the genocide during World War II and the silence of those who failed to act. Standing on the right side of history is not always easy. But it is what many Canadians expect from their government.
Canada would not be alone. Spain has already demonstrated that it is possible to oppose U.S. colonial policies. France did not allow Israel to use its airspace to transport American weapons to be used in the war against Iran.
These examples show that, at a time of growing danger in global politics, alternatives exist. The Carney government can choose to take a clear stance, rather than supporting the actions that have brought widespread destruction . Condemning those who started a war that has killed thousands of civilians and devastated infrastructure in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza should not be too much to ask.
