Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. It concerns Iran and the fallout from the conflict there. The U.S. and Israeli positions have been evolving rapidly day by day, hour by hour, as has Canada’s position. Could you tell us, at this point, what our position is in terms of Canada’s involvement now and going forward?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, Senator Cardozo. The position of the government is as follows: Canada did not participate in the recent military strikes and had no advance notice of them. The government condemns the escalation of the conflict, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and the lack of consultation of international bodies.

Canada has long recognized the Islamic Republic of Iran as the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East. The de-escalation of hostilities and the end of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are the government’s priorities. While the government regrets having to support the U.S. strikes, they come as a result of a failure of the international order. This is not a blank cheque, and Canada reaffirms that international law binds all parties, including the United States and Israel.