Albanese and Carney warn Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have called for a wider de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East while stressing that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

The remarks were made during a joint press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday following bilateral talks during Carney’s visit to Australia.

Albanese said the international community wanted to see tensions ease but warned that Iran’s actions across the region were fuelling instability.

Mark Carney addresses Australian Parliament (Facebook)

“We want to see a broader de-escalation of these hostilities with a broader group of countries than just the direct belligerents involved,” he said.

“The world wants to see a de-escalation and for Iran to stop its attacks across an increasing number of countries.”

He added that the international community had long been clear that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.

Carney echoed the call for de-escalation but said lasting stability would require confronting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional activities.

“We want to see a broader de-escalation of these hostilities,” he said, describing the conflict as complex and worsening.

Carney said efforts to reduce tensions must include preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and ending what he described as Tehran’s export of extremism and terrorism across the region.

Asked whether Canada could join military action if the conflict widened, Carney said such a move could not be categorically ruled out but described the scenario as hypothetical, adding that Canada would stand by its allies when necessary.

Australia has ruled out deploying troops and continues to emphasise diplomacy while supporting international efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

In a separate address to the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday, Carney said the widening conflict involving Iran reflected deeper weaknesses in the global system.

He described the crisis as an example of the failure of the international order built after the Second World War, arguing that decades of sanctions, UN resolutions and diplomatic efforts had failed to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.

Carney said Canada supported military strikes on Iran, but “with some regret”, describing them as a reluctant step taken after diplomatic avenues had been exhausted.

He also revealed that Canada had not been consulted in advance about the US-Israel strikes on Iranian targets.

Asked about international law, Carney said the legality of the strikes would need to be assessed but suggested they could raise questions under the United Nations Charter’s prohibition on the use of force.

During the Lowy Institute address, Carney also argued that countries such as Australia and Canada should strengthen cooperation as “middle powers” to avoid becoming economically and strategically subordinate to larger global powers.

The leaders also discussed closer cooperation between Australia and Canada in areas including defence, critical minerals and artificial intelligence during Carney’s visit.