Statement by Prime Minister Carney and Minister Anand on the situation in the Middle East
“The Canadian government is closely following Iran-related hostilities throughout the Middle East and urges all Canadians in Iran to shelter in place. Canadians in the wider region should follow local advice and take all necessary precautions.
Canada’s position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.
Canada and our international partners have consistently called upon the Iranian regime to end its nuclear program, including at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis and with the United Nations’ reimposition of sanctions in September.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has neither fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities, nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups. Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against Iran’s oppressive regime. Canada has listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity, and has sanctioned 256 Iranian entities and 222 individuals in response to the regime’s repression and its violence both against its own people, and persistently, beyond its borders. Canada reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and to ensure the security of its people.
Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.
The Canadian government urges the protection of all civilians in this conflict. We will take all possible measures to protect our nationals and Canadian diplomatic missions throughout the region.”
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'Debate Me on IRANIAN TV!' Iran War Debate Feat Mohammad Marandi
Check out our Iran deep dives on History
Uncensored: 
• Why Hasn’t Iran’s Regime Fallen? The Histo...
Is the US planning surgical strikes against specific capabilities and powerful men? Or is this a longer, riskier, more complex operation? Is the aim to bully the current regime into compliance? Or is it to change the regime altogether?
Piers Morgan puts these questions to Ambassador John Bolton, before speaking to his panel of Palestinian-American journalist Omar Baddar, US special forces veteran and host of Speak The Truth, Matt Tardio, Israeli-American journalist Emily Schrader and The Grayzone commentator Aaron Mate.
Piers also speaks to Virginia Democrat and Senate Intelligence Committee member, Senator Mark Warner and Tehran University’s Professor Mohammad Marandi.
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'It's not easy, let's be clear': Carney speaks frankly about dealing with Trump at an event in Australia
PM said Trump is open to hearing ideas and solicits opinions from those he speaks with
Prime Minister Mark Carney pulled back the curtain on his relationship with his American counterpart on Wednesday evening in Australia, saying it's not easy dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump and he must choose his words carefully to avoid any blowback.
Speaking at a think-tank question-and-answer session in Sydney on his Indo-Pacific tour, Carney said Trump is also somewhat different in private than he is in public and that there's room for a free flow of ideas when you sit down with him face to face.
Asked how he has navigated the relationship with the sometimes erratic Trump so far, Carney said: "Respect but not obsequiousness."
Carney on dealing with Trump: 'Respect but not obsequiousness'Carney said he has to recognize that Trump was duly elected and he's become "a very successful politician."
"Elected twice, he would say elected three times. He does."
Carney also said you can't speak about Trump off the cuff.
"I'm going to say something very honest, but it's important: You don't want to say anything in public that you can't back up.
"You've got to choose your words — one chooses language for the audience, that's true in any circumstance, and so careful in terms of the language you use with him," Carney said.
The prime minister said Trump is open to hearing ideas and solicits opinions from those he speaks with.
"It's quite different in private," Carney said.
"And that creates an ability to work through things, but it's not easy, let's be clear."
When the moderator of the Q&A mentioned Carney's standing ovation at this year's World Economic Forum, the prime minister playfully said Trump's "was bigger," a nod to the president's fixation on crowd size and reaction.
Carney's comments come days after he backed the U.S. airstrikes on Iran to wipe out the country's nuclear weapons program — a position he nuanced slightly when speaking to reporters earlier Wednesday. Carney said Canada wants a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
'You can't do that forever': Carney on Trump's use of U.S. economic leverageWhen asked about Trump's reaction to Canada's agreement with the initial barrage of airstrikes on the Islamic republic, Carney said he hadn't spoken to the president since the war effort began.
Carney said he didn't take that position to curry favour with Trump or extract anything from the Americans.
"We took a position because we view the nuclear threat and the export of terrorism of Iran over decades as one of the gravest threats to international peace and security," he told reporters at a press conference.
"That is not us asking for something in exchange for that. None of that is true. That is just a straight-up position."
Central bankers have more fun: Carney
In a more relaxed tone, Carney also used the f-word while telling a story from his time as a central banker.
Michael Fullilove, the executive director of the Lowy Institute who hosted the chat, asked whether central bankers or prime ministers have more fun. Carney chose central bankers, recalling “crazy” dinners and “good wine."
He told a story from when he was two weeks into his job as governor of the Bank of Canada in early 2008, during the collapse of U.S. investment bank Bear Sterns. Carney said that during a dinner with the G-10 central banks, the group had about an hour and a half to make a decision.
Carney drops f-word in anecdote, says bankers have more fun than politiciansHe recalled being welcomed by the chair, a seven-course meal and being offered what the chair called “the best wine in Europe." However, Carney said the chair took a long time to list and detail every choice of wine.
“And he's like, ‘Well have this one, but you know, the pinot grigio,’ and I’m like f--k,” Carney said, laughing.
He said that after the wine discussion, there was one hour left to make the financial decisions. “An hour later, all I remember is, man the wine is fantastic,” he said.
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Carney shakes up senior ranks of the public service
Prime minister last shuffled his deputy ministers in December
Prime Minister Mark Carney has shaken up the senior ranks of the public service, creating and expanding some roles in a continued effort to put his stamp on the machinery of government.
Carney last shuffled his deputy ministers in December, promising the changes would deliver results for Canadians.
Glenn Purves, who left the public sector in January 2025 to work as an economist at the BlackRock Investment Institute, is coming back to the government fold as Carney's deputy minister of international trade.
Purves served as the assistant deputy minister of economic development for Finance Canada for two years starting in 2021 — a department where he also worked from 2011 to 2018 in various senior roles including director general of fiscal policy.
His long history of public service also included stints as assistant secretary at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and a senior adviser at the International Monetary Fund.
David Morrison, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, is moving closer into the prime minister's orbit by taking on his new role as Carney's senior diplomatic and international affairs adviser.
Arun Thangaraj, the deputy minister of transport, is being moved into Morrison's position at Global Affairs Canada.
Morrison will also represent Carney in negotiations with other countries leading up to G7 and G20 summits. He will be working out of the Privy Council Office, the nonpartisan agency that runs the federal public service.
Cynthia Termorshuizen, who held that G7 and G20 role, is being moved to international development where she will serve as deputy minister.
Termorshuizen was the deputy ambassador to China from 2015 to 2018 and previously worked as the associate deputy minister of foreign affairs.
Fentanyl czar takes on more responsibilities
Rob Stewart, who serves as the deputy minister of international trade, is leaving that post to serve as the deputy minister responsible for leading the creation of the new Financial Crimes Agency.
Announced in October, the Financial Crimes Agency is being built to investigate complex cases of money laundering, organized crime and financial scams, and recover the illegal proceeds from those activities.
Dominic Rochon leaves his role as the chief information officer of Canada to become the Privy Council Office's deputy secretary to the cabinet focused on national security and intelligence.
Nathalie Drouin, who has been serving as the deputy clerk of the Privy Council and national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister since January 2024, was named Canada's new ambassador to France earlier this month.
Canada's
fentanyl czar Kevin Brosseau, shown here in Washington, D.C., alongside
Defence Minister David McGuinty, is taking on new responsibilities in
the shuffle. (Kelly Geraldine Malone/The Canadian Press)David Angell, who was the foreign and defence policy adviser to the prime minister, becomes associate deputy minister of foreign affairs.
Kevin Brosseau, who was named Canada's fentanyl czar in February 2025, is keeping that role but is also being made the senior associate deputy minister of national defence and commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
In a statement the Prime Minister's Office said the "leadership changes support the strong, effective delivery of priorities and results for Canadians, while positioning the federal government to advance Canada's interests and respond to the rapidly shifting dynamics of the global landscape."
Other senior positions named Wednesday include:
- Michael Vandergrift, the former deputy minister of natural resources, becomes deputy minister of transport.
- Ted Gallivan, the interim deputy national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister, becomes the new deputy minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.
- Harpreet S. Kochhar, the current deputy minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, becomes president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
- Paul MacKinnon is leaving his position as president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to serve as deputy minister of fisheries and oceans.
- Nancy Gardiner, who leads the federal economic development agency for southern Ontario, will take on the role of deputy minister of veterans affairs.
- Kaili Levesque leaves her role as associate deputy minister of fisheries and oceans to become an associate deputy minister of innovation, science and economic development. She will also serve as the president of the federal economic development agency for southern Ontario.
- Talal Dakalbab leaves his role as the senior assistant deputy minister in the crime prevention branch of Public Safety Canada to take over as commissioner of corrections from Anne Kelly, who will move into an advisory role pending her upcoming retirement.
- Francis Trudel, the associate chief human resources officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, is being moved to Public Services and Procurement Canada where he will serve as associate deputy minister.
In a statement Carney wished Kelly, Chris Forbes, the former deputy minister of finance and Bob Hamilton, the former commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency, well on their retirements.
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Prime Minister Carney forges new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Japan across defence, energy, trade, and technology
Main Content
Canada is focused on what we can control – strengthening our economy at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad, including in the Indo-Pacific. Japan is an over $5.5 trillion market, the world’s fourth-largest economy, and Canada’s fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment – with nearly $40 billion in bilateral trade. Canadian businesses in Japan are leaders in financial services, forestry, and automotive sectors, and 70% of the cars manufactured in Canada are made by Japanese companies – supporting thousands of high-quality careers for Canadian workers.
In a more dangerous and uncertain world, strengthening this relationship presents enormous opportunities for greater security, stability, and prosperity for both our peoples.
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, travelled to Tokyo, where he met with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. Following their meeting, the leaders released a joint statement and announced an ambitious new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Canada and Japan across defence, energy, critical minerals, trade, and technology. This partnership will reinforce collaboration between our two countries, attract more capital into Canada, and give greater depth and opportunities to our growing relationship.
Canada and Japan share a robust defence and security partnership, spanning the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation NEON in the Indo-Pacific, joint and multilateral exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, cooperation on cybersecurity and emerging threats, and a shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. To bolster our defence and security relationship and build up our defence industrial cooperation, the leaders announced:
- Three bilateral Memoradums of Cooperation (MOCs) that will strengthen collaboration on international emergency response, joint Coast Guard exercises, and action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the North Pacific.
- Additional strategic planning, bilateral exercises, and joint operations and training exercises, including joint sails between the Royal Canadian Navy and the Japanese Navy as well as the potential for Japan’s participation in Canada’s Operation NANOOK.
- Strengthened cybersecurity and cyber defence cooperation through a new Canada-Japan Cyber Policy Dialogue, including information exchange, resilience building, and collaboration on cyber threats.
- Greater defence industrial collaboration between Canadian and Japanese companies on frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and space security, to build out our defence supply chains, increase capital flows into defence sectors, and create high-paying careers.
To build on and expand their strong trade ties, Canada and Japan will:
- Instruct their officials to identify immediate investment opportunities, including through pension funds.
- Increase efforts to support Japanese automotive manufacturers in advancing their decarbonisation efforts in Canada through multiple pathways.
- Leverage existing MOCs, including those on battery supply chains and industrial science and technology, to deepen bilateral cooperation and catalyse economic gains for both countries.
- Modernise the Canada-Japan Joint Economic Committee, building on 50 years of close economic cooperation, to capitalise on emerging opportunities such as semiconductors, batteries, AI, clean energy, critical minerals, and resilient supply chains.
- Deploy trade delegations, including a Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan in 2026 and an upcoming visit to Canada by the Japan Business Federation to unlock new commercial partnerships for Canadian businesses and investment opportunities in Canada.
To bolster energy security and leverage Canada and Japan’s complementarity in supply, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Takaichi committed to:
- Expanding bilateral trade and cooperation on energy projects, including liquified natural gas and liquified petroleum gas, recognising their important roles in energy security and the energy transition. This also underscores Canada’s unique position to meet demand for low-emission energy, thanks in part to our enhanced methane regulations.
- Increasing cooperation on clean energy technologies, including nuclear technologies, hydrogen, energy-efficient industrial processes, as well as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage.
- Harnessing innovation in clean storage, grid modernisation, and clean‑energy integration.
Canada and Japan are both leaders in advanced technology and trusted partners in the responsible development of AI, manufacturing, and research and development (R&D). To reinforce this relationship, the two countries will:
- Deepen cooperation on critical minerals, including joint work to secure reliable supplies, enable value‑added processing, and support diversified manufacturing ecosystems. This includes collaboration through the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance.
- Increase partnership opportunities on semiconductors, AI, cybersecurity, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, clean technologies, quantum technology, fusion energy, and other strategic sectors central to economic competitiveness.
- Advance joint R&D and innovation cooperation in new and emerging technologies, building on this year’s 40th anniversary of the Canada-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology.
- Intensified collaboration between our two countries’ innovation, venture, investor, and startup ecosystems, including by accelerating greater two‑way investment, strengthening links between accelerators and corporate innovation networks, and supporting joint commercialisation in emerging technology sectors.
In addition to these efforts, Canada and Japan will increase Arctic scientific and technological cooperation as well as joint efforts on climate change and environmental observation. To that end, the leaders welcomed the signing of a bilateral MOC to conduct joint scientific activities in fisheries and marine research, including stock assessment, climate and ecosystem science, advanced marine technologies, and researcher exchanges to support sustainable resource management.
In Tokyo, the Prime Minister will meet with the leaders of major Japanese firms across automotive, advanced manufacturing, clean and conventional energy, infrastructure, and technologies. He will position Canada as a reliable trade partner and a competitive destination for new investments.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Japan follows his latest engagements in India, where Canada secured over $5 billion in commercial agreements, and in Australia, where Canada elevated the bilateral partnership in critical minerals, defence, and AI and secured up to $10 billion in investment commitments. By re-engaging with global giants and deepening our partnerships with our closest allies, Canada is creating high-paying careers at home, diversifying our trade, attracting massive investment, and building a stronger, more sovereign, and more resilient Canadian economy.
Quote
“Japan is a trusted partner and a global leader in innovation, technology, and advanced manufacturing. Together, we are strengthening our economic security, securing resilient supply chains in critical minerals and clean energy, and deepening security and defence cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. By expanding and modernising our partnership, we are creating long-term opportunities for our workers and building a more secure and resilient future for both countries.”
Quick facts
- This is Prime Minister Carney’s first official visit to Japan since taking office. He is accompanied by the Minister of National Defence, David J. McGuinty.
- The Prime Minister’s visit coincides with important milestones in the Canada-Japan bilateral relationship, including:
- The 50th anniversary of the Canada-Japan Joint Economic Committee, which has underpinned five decades of structured economic dialogue and sustained trade and investment growth between our two countries.
- The 40th anniversary of the Canada-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, which has enabled scientific partnership in frontier fields such as AI, quantum computing, clean energy, advanced materials, and next‑generation digital technologies. Canada and Japan have recently expanded the scope and ambition of this partnership, including through new MOCs on industrial R&D and battery supply chains.
- From February 28 to March 2, 2026, the Prime Minister travelled to Mumbai and New Delhi, India – the first bilateral visit by a Canadian Prime Minister in nearly 10 years. During the visit, Canada welcomed more than 10 commercial agreements between our two countries, totalling over $5 billion. Canada and India also announced a broad range of ambitious initiatives that will renew and expand the bilateral partnership across energy and critical minerals, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defence.
- From March 3 to 6, 2026, the Prime Minister visited Sydney and Canberra, Australia
– the first bilateral visit by a Canadian Prime Minister since 2007.
During the visit, Canada and Australia announced new partnerships in
investment, defence and security, critical minerals, energy, and AI.
Prime Minister Carney also delivered an address to the Australian
Parliament, where he underscored the enduring ties between the two
countries and their shared potential for economic growth.
- On the heels of the Prime Minister’s visit, the University of Alberta and the University of Queensland signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enable greater collaboration in defence, space and security-related research, as well as quantum technologies, AI, advanced manufacturing, and critical minerals.
Prime Minister Carney speaks with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan
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Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with His Majesty King Abdullah Il of Jordan.
The leaders condemned the Iranian regime’s missile and drone attacks on civilians across the Middle East. Prime Minister Carney expressed Canada’s solidarity with Jordan in the face of these unprovoked attacks, and commended His Majesty on his defensive efforts.
The Prime Minister conveyed his gratitude to His Majesty for his protection of the thousands of Canadians who live in Jordan and discussed ongoing efforts to assist Canadians to leave the region. They discussed opportunities for de-escalation and how to halt the expansion of the conflict.
The leaders agreed that diplomatic engagement is essential to avoid a wider and deeper conflict. Innocent civilians must be protected, and all parties must commit to finding enduring agreements to end both nuclear proliferation and terrorist extremism.
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