Mark Carney Meets Donald Trump to Discuss Trade and Middle East Developments

Ottawa, Canada: US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have had high-level talks about a wide range of domestic and global issues.

In a post on X, the Canadian leader gave a detailed account 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.”

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.

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) March 9, 2026

This high-level diplomatic effort comes after Carney made key remarks last week, stating that he “could not rule out” the idea of Canadian military engagement in the escalating Middle East crisis. These remarks follow his prior opinion that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were “inconsistent with international law,” as reported by Al Jazeera.

Carney was asked if Canada will get involved while speaking with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra last Thursday. In response, he stated that “one can never categorically rule out participation,” while also emphasising that such a scenario was “hypothetical.”

Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada’s diplomatic commitments, saying

Carney reaffirmed Canada’s diplomatic commitments, saying, “We will stand by our allies,” and emphasising that “we will always defend Canadians.” According to Al Jazeera, these words were the Prime Minister’s first formal response to the violence since hostilities began the previous Saturday.

Reflecting on the recent military action against Tehran, Carney confessed he supported the strikes “with some regret.” He called the offensive a “extreme example of a rupturing world order,” emphasising the precarious situation of global diplomacy.

Also reads : US Senate rejects proposal to stop military campaign against Iran

The Canadian leader acknowledged last week that Ottawa was not informed in advance of the US-Israeli operation, according to Al Jazeera. During his trip to Australia, Carney told reporters, “We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate.”

Carney criticised the mission’s unilateral approach, saying that “prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law.” He added that “the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada,” as reported by Al Jazeera.

The Prime Minister also expressed concern for noncombatants, denouncing strikes against civilians and demanding “all parties to respect the rules of international engagement.” However, he acknowledged that evaluating whether the attacks violated legal frameworks was “a judgement for others to make.”

As the regional crisis worsens, Al Jazeera claimed that Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is directing efforts to aid nearly 2,000 Canadians trying to flee the Middle East. The majority of these requests came from the United Arab Emirates, although considerable numbers were also recorded from Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran.

To expedite these evacuations, the Foreign Ministry has been asked to arrange charter flights from the UAE, subject to airspace authorisation.