Ottawa [Canada], March 9 (ANI): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has held high-level discussions with United States President Donald Trump, covering a broad spectrum of bilateral and international concerns.

In a post on X, the Canadian leader detailed the nature of the conversation, stating: 'I spoke with President Trump this afternoon on a range of issues, including the economy, developments in the Middle East, and trade relations between our two countries -- and we agreed to stay in close contact.'

https://x.com/MarkJCarney/status/2030843723593007126?s=20

This high-level diplomatic outreach follows significant remarks made by Carney last week, in which he stated that he 'could not rule out' the possibility of Canada's military involvement in the intensifying Middle East conflict. These comments were made after his earlier assessment that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were 'inconsistent with international law,' as reported by Al Jazeera.

Speaking alongside Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra last Thursday, Carney was questioned on whether Canada would get involved. In response, he noted that 'one can never categorically rule out participation,' while clarifying that such a scenario remained 'hypothetical.'

Reaffirming Canada's international commitments, Carney stated, 'we will stand by our allies,' and emphasised that 'we will always defend Canadians.' Al Jazeera noted that these remarks marked the Prime Minister's first official response to the conflict since the outbreak of hostilities on the preceding Saturday.

Reflecting on the recent military action against Tehran, Carney admitted he supported the strikes 'with some regret.' He described the offensive as an 'extreme example of a rupturing world order,' highlighting the fragile state of global diplomacy.

According to Al Jazeera, the Canadian leader confirmed last week that Ottawa was not given prior notice regarding the US-Israeli operation. 'We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,' Carney told journalists during his travel in Australia.

Criticising the unilateral nature of the mission, Carney remarked that 'prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law.' He further observed that 'the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada,' according to reports by Al Jazeera.

The Prime Minister also expressed concern for non-combatants, condemning strikes on civilians and urging 'all parties to respect the rules of international engagement.' However, he noted that determining if the attacks breached legal frameworks was 'a judgement for others to make.'

As the regional crisis deepens, Al Jazeera reported that Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is overseeing efforts to assist over 2,000 citizens seeking to evacuate the Middle East. The majority of these requests have originated from the United Arab Emirates, with significant numbers also reported from Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran.

To facilitate these evacuations, the Foreign Ministry has been directed to arrange charter flights from the UAE, pending airspace authorisation. (ANI)