Canadian military chief says allies will talk about protecting Gulf states from Iran – National
Canada’s defense chief, Gen. Jennie Carignan said that their allies are in discussions about the possibility of helping the countries of the Persian Gulf to protect themselves from Iran’s bombings.
Speaking to reporters at a defense and security conference in Ottawa on Thursday, Carignan said a meeting is scheduled for Friday morning to discuss such a proposal between the joint forces and the Canadian Forces will present recommendations to the government.
“The Gulf states must also show what they need,” Carignan said in French. “We are communicating with them to get an idea about the needs because it is clear that if they do not need us… we will not look for ways to support them.”
He did not specify what support this might involve, but he said that Canada was not involved in the bombing of Iran in the US.
“We’re not talking about participating in (the) Epic Fury, in part,” he said. “This is not a policy that we are considering. However, our Gulf partners may need protection and support, so, in that context, these would be the types of military options that we may consider.”
The Canadian Press requested comment from the Prime Minister’s Office, but was referred to National Defence.
Carignan’s comments come as the Conservatives want a parliamentary debate before any kind of deployment of Canadian troops to the ongoing war.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Australia on Thursday – Wednesday in Canada – that Canada will not be able to “withdraw” military participation in the growing conflict in the Middle East.
He added that Canada’s future involvement is a “basic idea” and that Ottawa will stand up to its supporters.
The Conservatives want a parliamentary debate before any kind of deployment of Canadian troops to the ongoing war in Iran.
“It should be up to Parliament itself to say yes or no to whether or not we’re going to bring our troops into the conflict,” Conservative defense critic James Bezan told reporters Thursday in Ottawa. “Let’s discuss where appropriate, in public for transparency, in the House of Commons.”
The prime minister initially expressed unequivocal support for the US launching airstrikes on Iran last weekend – and later said he did so with “regret” because the bombing campaign appeared to be inconsistent with international law.
Bezan said those changes make no sense — and Ottawa’s insistence on an official solution to end the airstrikes it has agreed to.
The member of Parliament responsible for the purchase of defense equipment, Stephen Fuhr, said that he had not been part of the discussions about any military involvement in Iran.
“The region is unstable and there is ongoing conflict there, so Canada will make a decision on what that looks like in Canada,” he told reporters.
Lt.-Gen. Steve Boivin, commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, told reporters at a defense and security conference in Ottawa on Thursday that there are about 200 members of the Armed Forces deployed to the Middle East in six missions.
Boivin revealed the number after Defense Minister David McGuinty and his department refused to provide a figure earlier in the week.
Some of those soldiers have been relocated to another country in the region, Boivin said, while others have been returned to Canada since the war began.
The Canadian Joint Operations Command is a unit that can be called upon to assist the federal government in the event of an evacuation or civilian rescue.
Boivin said there are no Canadian Navy ships or Air Force aircraft in the region to assist with such a mission at this time. He said the military is in the process of sending six consultants to the Middle East in case they are asked to help.
Global Affairs Canada in a statement Thursday evening said that, as of March 5, more than 107,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents were registered in the Middle East.
It said the number of people in its Canada Abroad Voluntary Registration program does not reflect the exact number of Canadians in a particular country and does not indicate whether or not they wish to leave.
The statement said Global Affairs Canada is working on “a range of options” to support the potential movement of Canadians from several Middle Eastern countries, by land and air, “when conditions permit and it is safe to do so.”
The department said it is working to secure charter flights or seats on commercial flights for Canadians in the region, which will be available in the coming days.
“This will depend on the security situation, including airspace operations,” the statement read.
– With files from Sarah Ritchie and Catherine Morrison
© 2026 The Canadian Press
