Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has revised his position towards US-Israeli strikes on Iran, conceding they may break international law, while also repeating his view that the global rules based order is failing.
Speaking to reporters in Sydney during a three-day visit, Carney clarified his initial stance to support US-Israeli strikes was due to the nuclear threat that Iran posed and a belief it is "the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East".
However, he said this did not grant the Trump administration a "blank cheque".
"It appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law," he said, adding that it was up to the US and Israel to determine the legality.
Under the United Nations charter, which governs the US as a founding member state, the use of military force is justified under self-defence if a country is under attack, or if the United Nations Security Council has authorised it.
The US and Israel have argued that their attacks on Iran are to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Carney admitted that two decades of negotiations and diplomatic efforts, including sanctions, had failed to dismantle Iran's nuclear program.
"And now the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada," he said.
Carney called the war in the Middle East a "failure of the international order", urging a "rapid de-escalation of hostilities".
The Canadian prime minister condemned strikes on Iranian civilians - which have continued after the regime bombed nine countries in retaliation - imploring "all parties, including US and Israel, to respect the rules of international engagement".
"Diplomatic engagement is essential to avoid a wider and deeper conflict. Innocent civilians must be protected, and all parties must commit to finding enduring agreements to end both nuclear proliferation and terrorist extremism," he said.
The remarks stand in contrast to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who have avoided weighing in on the legality of the strikes.
Legal and human rights experts have previously told SBS News the US-Israeli justifications do not reach the threshold for an armed attack under international law to justify such force of defence.
Prior to Carney's speech, Wong reiterated Australia's lack of involvement in the strikes.
"The legal basis of these strikes is ultimately a matter for the United States and Israel," she said, repeating comments she and the prime minister have both made in recent days.
She highlighted Iran's failure to comply with UN Security Council resolutions over its nuclear program.
All eyes are on Albanese, who is expected to stand alongside Carney in Canberra on Thursday, and whether his language will echo that of his counterpart.
In January, Carney told the World Economic Forum that "Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu".
