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'Door open' for Canada's military help with shipping crisis in Gulf, defence minister says
As the U.S. asks allies to assist in defending the Gulf region from Iran, Canada’s Defence Minister David McGuinty said his government is “leaving the door open” to military support in the region, but reiterated Canada will play no offensive role against Iran.
“The question of assistance and neighbouring Gulf countries is one that we’re considering,” he said at a press conference in Ottawa on Monday. “It will depend on the nature of any kind of ask.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for assistance from some NATO allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil shipping route between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea that Iran has been choking off since the Islamic Republic was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.
“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday, noting that many NATO allies rely more than the U.S. does on oil exports from the Gulf. “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he added.
He has also pressured China to help in securing the strait.
Iran has reportedly continued to export its oil to China through the narrow Gulf passage, even as it has threatened to attack other tankers trying to pass. U.S. officials said last week Iran has begun laying mines in the strait.
“The question of the White House’s overture to NATO members and participation in the Strait of Hormuz is something that all NATO members are examining,” said McGuinty. “We have no intention of getting involved offensively in the prosecution of the war in the region.”
The president’s request for assistance has already been rejected by Germany , while United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government had not made a decision but would not be drawn into the war with Iran.
McGuinty said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is “evolving.”
“It’s hard to get hard information, to be honest with you, in terms of what’s going on in the width of that particular strait,” he told reporters. “We’re not quite sure what the overture was or is not, so we’re going to talk amongst our NATO allies, and we will govern ourselves accordingly.”
Nearly 20 per cent of the world’s liquified natural gas and 20 per cent of global oil output is transported through the strait. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar all rely on the strait for exports. Eastern Canada imports a small amount of oil from the Gulf, however the turmoil has significantly impacted Canada’s agriculture sector , which sends many grain exports through the shipping route.
The closure has caused global oil prices to increase, with the price of Brent crude around US$100 per barrel as of Monday. The impact on the global oil market has increased pressure on the U.S. administration to find a solution to the strait’s closure.
Trump said it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” if allies don’t assist the U.S. on this matter.
McGuinty said his government’s focus remains on the consular efforts to get Canadians out of the region and making sure members of the Canadian Armed Forces remain out of harm’s way. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed on Monday that 10,000 Canadians have left the region and are back in Canada.
“We will continue to consult, but we’ve always managed to find a way to manage our relationship with the United States, and we will manage our way through this as well,” McGuinty said.
National Post
jgowling@postmedia.com
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