MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The prime ministers of Canada and Australia on Thursday called for a de-escalation of the war with Iran but added that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons.
Canadian President Mark Carney and Australian President Anthony Albanese discussed the war during a meeting in the Australian capital, Canberra.
The meeting followed news that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and Turkey said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace.
“We would like to see a broader de-escalation of these hostilities across a wider group of countries, not just those involving the direct belligerents,” Carney told a news conference with Albanese.
“We emphasize that this goal cannot be achieved unless we can end Iran’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons, develop nuclear weapons and export terrorism. Therefore, the process must lead to these outcomes,” Carney added.
He said the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries had “showed great restraint” and should participate in the de-escalation process.
“The world wants to see a de-escalation and wants to see Iran stop expanding its attack destinations,” Albanese said.
“We are seeing sweeping attacks on Gulf states that are not involved, including attacks on civilian areas and tourist areas. But we also want to see the goals achieved. I want to see Iran eliminate the possibility of nuclear weapons once and for all,” Albanese said.
When asked by reporters, Carney could not rule out the possibility of Canadian troops being involved in the conflict.
“You’re raising a basic hypothesis in a conflict that could be widespread,” Carney said.
“Therefore, we can never categorically rule out participation. We will support our allies when it makes sense,” he added.
Carney is on a three-country trade-focused tour of Australia that began with India last week. He addressed the Australian Parliament on Thursday and will fly to Japan on Friday.