Canada could be called on to help defend Gulf states, says top military commander
CBC
The head of the Canadian Armed Forces says Canada may be called on to help defend Persian Gulf states from Iran's strikes as the U.S.-led offensive expands into a wider regional war.
The comments come after Prime Minister Mark Carney left the door open to participating in the escalating situation in the Middle East if Canada's allies need help.
Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, made it clear that Canada is not participating in Operation Epic Fury, the joint Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran that began six days ago, but stressed the situation is "quite dire and dangerous for the Gulf states."
On the sidelines of a defence conference in downtown Ottawa on Thursday, the top military commander said "our Gulf partners may require defence and support" and "this would be the type of military options that we could consider."
Carignan said she's speaking to European chiefs of defence staff Friday.
"This is the conversation we need to have with Gulf states partners and our European partners to see what we can do together," she said, adding that could involve redirecting resources.
The military may also be called on to help get Canadians out of the volatile region, she said.
Carignan said Canada is in contact with allies to gather information and has deployed liaison officers in the Middle East "so we can be in a posture to plan and adjust to the situation over there."
Earlier Thursday, the Department of National Defence said the Canadian military members serving on exchange with U.S. forces in the Middle East remain in their posts, but have been assigned "other duties" outside of the campaign against Iran.
Questions about Canada's potential involvement have been percolating since Carney addressed a question during a news conference in Australia Thursday local time.
The prime minister was asked if he could definitively say Canada would not get involved militarily in the war.
"You've asked a fundamental hypothetical in a conflict that can spread very broadly," Carney said.
"One can never categorically rule out participation. We will stand by our allies when it makes sense."
Earlier in the week, the government said it had no plans to join the military campaign. In his latest update, the prime minister drew a distinction between the ongoing offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran and the Islamic republic's retaliatory strikes.
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The head of the Canadian Armed Forces says Canada may be called on to help defend Persian Gulf states from Iran's strikes as the U.S.-led offensive expands into a wider regional war.
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