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Minister of Defense David McGuinty says Canadian military personnel in the Middle East are out of harm’s way as the US and Israel continue to launch missile attacks on Iran.
McGuinty did not offer specifics Tuesday when asked how many Canadian military personnel are in the region, saying there are only “a few.”
“Everyone is fine, out of danger and it’s something we’re monitoring very closely,” McGuinty told reporters in Sydney, Australia, where he is on an official visit with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
McGuinty said the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a positive development.
“Ayatollah Khamenei has been a very, very powerful force of evil in Iran and the region for many, many decades,” he said.
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Carney supported US and Israeli military strikes against Iran, but also said Canada would not get involved.
McGuinty said the Canadian Armed Forces were not involved in the preparation or execution of the attack and that Canada was not notified in advance.
He said the government “decided from the beginning” that it would support the attack, but also called for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
The Department of National Defense did not say how many Canadian troops are stationed in each country in the Middle East. The department said only that the Canadian Armed Forces will “assess any potential impact on Croatian Armed Forces personnel in the region.”
“The safety and security of all deployed personnel of the Croatian Armed Forces remains our top priority. In accordance with established procedures, the Armed Forces of the Croatian Armed Forces adjust their presence and position at deployment locations as necessary,” wrote department spokesman Nick Drescher Brown.
“All personnel of the Croatian Armed Forces in the region are currently safe and registered. For operational security reasons, the Croatian Armed Forces do not disclose special force protection measures.
“The CAF was not involved in the United States’ Operation Epic Fury, nor were members of the CAF involved in its planning.”
– with files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa
© 2026 The Canadian Press
