Defence Minister David McGuinty said Tuesday that Canada’s decision not to join the U.S. and Israel’s military attacks on Iran was clear “from the beginning” of the war more than two weeks ago, while underscoring that position is not going to change.
During a press event in Brampton, Ont., highlighting Canada’s military aid to Ukraine, McGuinty was asked about the resignation Tuesday of U.S. National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent, who said he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war because “Iran posed no imminent threat” to the U.S.
McGuinty told reporters he had not been aware of Kent’s resignation but suggested he “made a principled decision, I suppose.”
“Look, the United States is going to find its way forward on this with Israel,” he said. “In terms of Canada’s position, we’ve looked at this very carefully. We’re following it hour by hour. It’s a very volatile situation, and so we’re very, very careful in terms of taking steps in any direction.
“But for us, from the beginning, it was clear that joining this in terms of the prosecution of the war offensively was not going to occur.”
McGuinty reiterated the federal government’s position that Ottawa was not consulted before the U.S. and Israel launched military action in Iran, that Canada “has not participated in this conflict, and Canada has no intention of doing so.”
He said he could not reveal much more than that about Canadian military operations in the region for security reasons.
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“It’s very important that we, first of all, focus on Canadians in the region who want to leave that region,” he said. “Secondly, is very important for me as minister of defence to make sure that we protect, that we keep our forces out of harm’s way.”
McGuinty on Monday said Canada was “leaving the door open” to providing assistance to any Gulf nation that requires help in defending from Iranian attacks, but that so far it had not received any such requests.
That assistance is not necessarily guaranteed, he said Tuesday.
“If any neighbouring states might require assistance, we’ll see,” he said. “But we’re going to watch this hour by hour, day by day, and we will govern ourselves accordingly.”
NATO allies, including Canada, were facing pressure this week from U.S. President Donald Trump to help the U.S. secure the vital Strait of Hormuz trade corridor from Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and oil transports.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said earlier Tuesday that NATO had not received a formal request for assistance, and Trump said most NATO allies had rebuffed his public demands.
Anand said she agrees with Prime Minister Mark Carney that the U.S. attack on Iran likely violated international law, but added that also applies to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
McGuinty on Tuesday also responded to Conservatives’ criticism that the government and military did not disclose a strike that damaged a Kuwait airbase used by the CAF until over a week later.
“With all due respect to my colleagues in the Conservative party, we will take our lead from the operational experts, experts in the Canadian Armed Forces, who have a policy of being very careful about the security of our Canadian Armed Forces on the ground,” he said.
“I think it’s up to the Conservative party to explain why they might want to pursue information or reveal information that might compromise that security.”
Conservative defence critic James Bezan told Global News in a statement that Canada should follow its allies in being transparent with Canadians “without compromising the security of our troops in the region.”
“The Carney Liberals are clearly making excuses now because they know they were wrong,” he said. “It is time for this government to end their culture of secrecy. Canadians don’t need special security clearances for the Liberal government to treat them with respect.”
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