Defense Minister David McGuinty says Canadian military personnel in the Middle East will not be harmed as the US and Israel continue to launch missile attacks on Iran.
McGuinty did not provide specifics Tuesday when asked how many Canadian military personnel were in the area, saying there were only “a few.”
“They’re all fine, unharmed and that’s something we’re looking at very carefully,” McGuinty told reporters in Sydney, Australia, where he is on an official visit with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
McGuinty said the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a positive development.
“Ayatollah Khamenei has been the most powerful force of evil in Iran and the region for decades,” he said.
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Carney has endorsed American and Israeli military strikes on Iran, but said Canada would not be involved.
McGuinty said the Canadian Armed Forces were not involved in the preparation or execution of the attack and that Canada was not notified in advance.
He said the government had “decided from the beginning” to support the attack but was calling for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
The Department of National Defense has not said how many Canadian troops are stationed in each country in the Middle East. The Canadian Armed Forces will “assess any potential impacts on CAF personnel in the region,” the department said.
“The safety and security of all deployed CAF personnel remains our top priority. Consistent with established procedures, the CAF will adjust its presence and posture at deployment locations as needed,” department spokesman Nick Drescher Brown wrote.
“All CAF personnel in the area are currently safe and accounted for. For operational security reasons, the CAF will not disclose specific force protection measures.
“The CAF had no involvement in the United States’ Operation Epic Fury, nor were any CAF members involved in its planning.”
– with files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa
© 2026 The Canadian Press
(tags to translate)Iran
