Carney, Starmer meet amid deepening Middle East crisis

The war in the Middle East, the fear that it could escalate and the economic consequences were top of mind as Prime Minister Mark Carney met his British counterpart Monday in the United Kingdom at the tail of a whirlwind trip to Europe.

Carney met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, where the two leaders discussed the ongoing military operations of the United States, Israel and Iran and the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.

An official statement from Carney’s office following the meeting said that both Canada and the U.K. condemned Iran’s missile and drone attacks, including on civilian and energy infrastructure.

They also expressed deep concern over the toll the war is taking on civilians and the risk that it might escalate.

The broader global economic consequences of the conflict, including rising energy prices, were also a major area of concern.

Starmer’s office said he had a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump about the importance of reopening the strait to end both the disruption to global shipping and the oil crisis. The phone call came after the Trump urged the U.K. and other nations to send warships to the region to help secure the vital oil shipping channel from Iranian attacks.

Carney to meet King Charles

Carney has made it clear that Canada is not participating in the U.S.-Israeli-led war but has not excluded so-called defensive measures.

Canada’s new high commissioner in London — former cabinet minister Bill Blair — said it was important for the two prime ministers to have an opportunity to discuss each country’s approach.

I think those conversations could lead to, you know, perhaps a better understanding and other discussions about not only how we deal with the conflict that’s currently raging in the Middle East, but how we deal with the economic fallout, Blair told journalists travelling with the prime minister.

Carney did not take questions on Monday.

During their photo op, Starmer said he is glad he and Carney can put their shared values toward a volatile world. He also thanked the prime minister for continuing to support Ukraine.

Carney noted how Canada and the U.K. agreed a year ago to deepen bilateral ties on security, intelligence sharing and trade — saying it’s a good thing that happened because the world is even more challenging.

Carney is also slated to have an audience with King Charles on Monday afternoon.

This article is republished from RCI.