Canada won’t rule out military participation in Middle East conflict: PM Carney

Israel and the U.S. continued to hammer Tehran and cities across Iran on Wednesday as the war entered its fifth day.

At a glance:

• Canadians divided on Iran strikes: poll
• 87 bodies recovered from Iran warship sinking
• U.S., Israel control Iranian air space: Hegseth
• Iran ‘close’ to choosing next supreme leader
• U.S. senators vote on limiting Trump in Iran

Iran has responded with missile barrages and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned of the “complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Australia that Canada would not rule out military participation in the Middle East, and that they “will stand by our allies, when it makes sense.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada is pursuing multiple options to help more than 2,000 Canadians who have requested assistance to leave the Middle East.

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely interrupted, which is driving up oil prices worldwide. The conflict has also reignited hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The death toll in Iran has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said Wednesday.

Read more:

• Canada will stand by allies ‘when it makes sense,’ PM Carney says
• Anand says government pursuing options for Canadians to exit Middle East war zone
• Canadians deal with rising gas prices amid Middle East conflict
• Iran launches missiles at Israel as attacks in Middle East commence
• U.S. Senate Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war in Congress’ first vote on the conflict
• Markets in Europe gain while Asian shares swoon, oil surges higher
• Spain PM says ‘no to the war’ despite Trump’s trade threat
• Iran soccer player holds back tears responding to war-related question
• Here’s everything that happened on March 3, 2026

Here’s everything that happened on March 4, 2026.

Carney won’t rule out Canadian military participation

During a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked if he would definitively say Canada would not participate in U.S. military action with Iran.

“One can never categorically rule out participation,” Carney said. “We will stand by our allies, when makes sense.”

The prime minister added that, while there’s a distinction between self-defence and the actions taken by the U.S. and Israel, Canada “will always defend Canadians, and we will always stand by our allies when called upon.”

Hunter Crowther, CTVNews.ca journalist

Conflict needs de-escalation before ceasefire: Carney

Asked by a reporter if he was calling for a ceasefire in Iran, Carney said that first there needs to be a de-escalation of hostilities and the end of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Asked if he should have called for de-escalation in his first statement, Carney said “no.”

“It is a very volatile, it’s an extremely complex situation, it’s getting more complex as time goes on but we absolutely stand by the fundamental principle that Iran should not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Carney said.

The Canadian Press

Read full story here

Assisting Canadians in Mideast

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she directed officials in Ottawa to enter into contracts with for charter flights to repatriate Canadians from the United Arab Emirates.

Canadians in Israel do not have the option of flying out of the country as the airspace remains closed, but can use a bus service headed to Egypt, she said.

In Iran, 74 Canadians requested assistance, but as Canada has no diplomatic relations with the country, Ottawa cannot assist them.

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Ottawa to arrange evacuation options for Canadians in Mideast

Canada is arranging options for citizens to leave the Mideast, Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced in a press briefing late Wednesday.

Canada is offering three options: a limited number of chartered flights, block booking of seats on commercial flights and ground transportation services.

She said on Wednesday, 75 people departed on a flight from Beirut with seats reserved by the government.

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Canadians request assistance to leave Mideast

More than 2,000 Canadians have requested assistance from the Canadian government to leave the Middle East amid the intensifying U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran, a Canadian official said on Wednesday.

Half of those inquiries came from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, 200 from Qatar and 160 from Lebanon, the official said.

The Canadian government is working to secure seats on commercial flights out of some cities in the region, the official said, including 75 that were made available on Wednesday and more expected in the coming days.

Reuters

Read more here

Canada deals with rising gas prices

Drivers across Canada are feeling the economic impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East, with gas prices jumping in multiple regions. Analysts warn that further increases could be on the way.

What began as military strikes and retaliatory actions has raised concerns about disruptions to crude oil exports, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow waterway that channels about 20 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.

Oil prices continued to rise on Tuesday in markets. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, briefly rose above US$84 — a more than $10-dollar jump from when the conflict began.

How much are gas prices increasing in your region?

Dorcas Marfo, CTVNews.ca journalist

Israel warns residents to leave Beirut suburb

Israel’s military issued new evacuation orders for a Beirut suburb on Thursday, warning residents it was about to strike targets it said were linked to Hezbollah.

The warning posted on social media by the Israeli military’s Arabic language spokesperson came as hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group intensified – including direct clashes in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam on Wednesday, according to Hezbollah.

Reuters

U.S. Senate votes down war powers resolution

U.S. Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.

The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47-53 vote tally. The vote fell mostly along party lines, though Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted in favor and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against.

The war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

The Associated Press

Democrats fill U.S. Senate chamber

U.S. Senate Democrats are trying to underscore the gravity of the moment as they cast votes on legislation that would halt President Donald Trump from carrying out further attacks on Iran.

They have filled the Senate chamber and are sitting at their desks as the vote gets underway. During typical votes, senators stop into the chamber to cast their vote, then leave.

Senate Democrats stood when their names were called to say yay or nay, while the Republican side of the chamber was mostly empty.

Republicans have already signalled they will oppose the measure.

The Associated Press

Canada’s involvement in Iran ‘probably unlikely’: expert

A former NATO commander says it is “probably unlikely” that Canada would be drawn into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

“There’s always a likelihood of ‘could,’ but the reality of ‘will,’ is probably unlikely,” CTV News military analyst and retired Canadian major-general David Fraser said in an interview with CTV News Channel Wednesday.

Fraser said Article 5 would only be triggered if a member state, such as Turkiye, formally requested assistance after being attacked.

Turkish officials said on Wednesday that that a ⁠ballistic ⁠missile fired from Iran and heading into ⁠Turkish airspace was destroyed by NATO air defence systems.

Fraser said triggering Article 5 would spark a “political firestorm” within the alliance.

“Turkiye is already having some issues with the fact (that) the United States is arming Kurds to go into Iran,” he said. “This war is still very divisive inside of NATO.”

Tammy Ibrahimpoor, CTVNews.ca producer

Iran leadership hopefuls ‘end up dead’: Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking during a roundtable discussion in Washington, is touting his military campaign in Iran, calling it a “great display” of American might.

“Their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody who seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” he said.

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist

Carney position on Iran ‘inherently incoherent’: Chong

Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s position on the conflict in Iran is “inherently incoherent.”

“I think what’s inherently contradictory is supporting the airstrikes and calling for a ceasefire,” Chong said in an interview on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. “The government has done both in the last several days, and you can’t be supporting the airstrikes and at the same time calling for a secession of those strikes, it’s an inherent contradiction.”

Speaking to reporters in Australia on Tuesday — in his first official news conference since departing for a trade trip to India last week — Carney said the conflict is a “failure of the international order.” But, in a statement on Saturday, he wrote that “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

Chong told Kapelos he doesn’t think the prime minister has been clear about what the government’s position is on the conflict, adding that the Conservative party position is that it “support(s) the airstrikes and the removal of the Iranian regime from power.”

Spencer Van Dyk, CTVNews.ca journalist

U.S. senators vote on limiting Trump in Iran

U.S. senators are casting votes Wednesday on a war powers resolution, which would require the White House to seek congressional approval before authorizing any further attacks on Iran.

A similar bill is also being voted on later this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. But even if such legislation passes the Republican-controlled Congress, it is all but destined to be vetoed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Today every senator – every single one – will pick a side,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday. “Do you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into another war?”

Many Republican Senators have indicated they will vote against the Democrat-led measure, including Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, who said, “Democrats would rather obstruct Donald Trump than obliterate Iran’s national nuclear program.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Read the full story

Spain position on war not changed: Foreign minister

Spain’s position on the war in the Middle East and the use of U.S. military bases in the country have not changed, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday after U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that it had agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military.

“I categorically deny it. The Spanish government’s position on the war in the Middle East (...) and the use of our bases has not changed at all,” Albares told private radio station Cadena Ser.

Reuters

Russia may halt gas supplies to Europe: Putin

Russia could halt gas supplies to Europe right now amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday, linking the possible decision to the European Union wanting to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas.

Putin said oil prices were rising due to the “aggression against Iran” and due to Western restrictions on Russian oil, while European gas prices were rising because customers were willing to buy gas volumes at higher prices due to events in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked by a Russian state television’s top Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin about European plans to impose a total ban on Russian pipeline gas imports by late 2027 and to ban new short-term Russian LNG contracts from late April 2026, Putin said it might be more beneficial for Russia to stop selling the gas right now.

Reuters

Canadians divided on Iran strikes: poll

A poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians are sharply divided over the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran.

Nearly half of Canadians (49 per cent) say they oppose the strikes, while roughly one-in-three (34 per cent) support the military action.

The survey also suggests Canadians are uncertain about the war’s long-term impact on Iran. Twenty-eight per cent believe the conflict will ultimately improve the lives of Iranians, while 34 per cent say it will make conditions worse.

The polling also highlights clear political and demographic divides, with Conservative voters and men more likely to back the strikes than others.

Overall, the data suggests there is little national consensus in Canada about the conflict or its potential outcomes.

The online survey of 1,619 Canadian adults was conducted by the Angus Reid Institute from Feb. 28 to March 2.

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Canadian gas prices spike

Canadian drivers are already seeing the impact the war in Iran is having at the pumps, with gas prices surging across the country. The average price of gas Wednesday morning is $1.38.1 per litre, according to data from CAA. That’s a four cent increase overnight and a nearly nine cent jump from last week.

Drivers in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, where gas prices are typically the highest, are paying well above the national average. Data from GasBuddy.com shows B.C. motorists are paying $1.61.9 per litre for regular gas while drivers in PEI are paying an average of $1.54.2 per litre.

According to GasBuddy, prices are the lowest in the prairie provinces where drivers are paying $1.33.5 per litre in Alberta, $1.32.5 per litre in Saskatchewan and $1.32.4 per litre in Manitoba. In Quebec the average price at the pumps is $1.52 per litre while Ontario drivers are paying roughly $136.6 per litre.

Analysts predict these prices could continue to rise over the coming days as the war in the Middle East disrupts oil production and vital shipping routes in the region.

Heather Wright, CTV National News correspondent

Leavitt on reported girls’ school strike

Yesterday, Iran held a mass funeral ceremony for 165 people killed in what it described as an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab. Iranian state television showed thousands of people filling a public square.

The Associated Press reported U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said he was aware of reports that a girls’ school was struck and officials were looking into them. An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he was not aware of any Israeli or U.S. strikes in the area.

Today, a reporter asked White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt to weigh in.

“Karoline, did the United States airstrike a girls’ elementary school and kill 175 people,” asked the journalist.

“Not that we know of … the Department of War is investigating this matter. And I would just tell you very strongly the United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime that targets civilians, that kills children, that has killed thousands of their own people in the past several weeks and uses propaganda quite effectively. And unfortunately, many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda.

“I would caution you from pointing the finger at the United States of America when it comes to targeting civilians, because that’s not something these armed forces do.”

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist with files from The Associated Press

Trump had a ‘good feeling’

Trump had a “good feeling that the Iranian regime was going to strike the United States’ assets and our personnel in the region,” according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

“The president was faced with a choice. Does the United States of America use our military and our capabilities to strike first? To take out this threat? … Or is he going to, as commander-in-chief, sit back and watch as the rogue Iranian regime attacks our people in the region?”

She also says that nearby countries Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have contributed their respective air defence capabilities in the days following the initial U.S. strike.

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist

Energy industry to benefit: Leavitt

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt says the U.S. administration has been working on a plan with regard to domestic oil prices and the economy “well in advance.”

Crude carriers and cargo ships operating in and around the Gulf will have access to political risk insurance at a “very regional price,” she said. And when appropriate, the U.S. navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Ultimately the energy industry is going to benefit from the president’s actions,” she said.

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist

U.S. and Israel close to achieving air supremacy

The U.S. and Israel are getting close to achieving what he called “air supremacy” in Iran, according to CTV News military analyst and retired Canadian major-general David Fraser.

“Their priority of effort has been the missile launchers, and wherever they can find them, they’re going to destroy them,” Fraser told CTV News Channel on Wednesday. “Once those missile launchers and the air defense radars are destroyed, … they will have air supremacy.”

Air supremacy means that U.S. and Israeli aircraft would be able to fly over Iran with little risk of reprisal.

Fraser, who previously commanded NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, said it’s clear the U.S. and Israel intend to continue targeting Iranian troops and military installations until they “obliterate the leadership and the war capability of this country.”

“And they’re going after the leaders,” Fraser added. “So whoever the successor is to the religious leader, that person will probably be killed and the person after that.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Escalation ‘quite frightening’: security expert

As Iran escalates its attacks, an international security expert said the expanding scope of the conflict is “quite frightening.”

Sajjan Gohel, Asia-Pacific Foundation international security director, said in an interview with CTV News Channel Wednesday, “It is spread well now beyond the Gulf of Arab states. It’s gone into the Mediterranean as well.”

He noted the targeting of a U.K. air force base in Cyprus, and a missile reportedly shot down over Turkish airspace as examples beyond the initial conflict area.

“We can also probably expect things to escalate further once Israel and the U.S. attain air superiority, which as they are claiming will take probably under a week, maybe a bit longer, because Iran is making it very clear that if they’re going to go out, they’re going to take a lot of their neighbours with them. So, it’s quite frightening, the whole situation.”

Kendra Mangione, CTVNews.ca journalist

Total black out, explosions heard in Iraq

Iraq’s electricity ministry said on Wednesday that the entire country had been affected by a total power outage, without identifying the cause.

“The power grid has completely shut down across all Iraqi provinces,” the ministry said, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

It added that it was looking to determine the cause of the blackout, and had begun restoring power stations and transmission lines.

New explosions were heard Wednesday evening in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, AFP journalists said.

Parts of the country have come under repeated attack since the war between Israel, the U.S. and Iran broke out.

AFP

War ‘just getting started’: Hegseth

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the American military’s strikes on Iran are ‘just getting started’ as U.S. and Israeli aircraft continued to bombard the country for the fifth straight day.

“More and larger waves are coming,” he told reporters at the Pentagon. “We are accelerating, not decelerating. Iran’s capabilities are evaporating by the hour, while American strength grows fiercer, smarter and utterly dominant.”

Hegseth said that “sadly, as we projected,” Iranian counterattacks had claimed the lives of American service personnel, six so far, whose bodies will “hopefully arrive home soon.”

After likening the Iranian regime’s wartime strategy to a football team unsure of which plays to call, Hegseth said the U.S. and Israel had succeeded in killing dozens of Iran’s senior leaders, as well as many of the governing council tasked with choosing a new leadership.

“Senior generals, mid-level officers and listed ranks; they can’t talk or communicate, let alone mount a co-ordinated and sustained offensive,” he said.

Despite Hegseth’s claims, Iran continued to launch counterattacks throughout the Middle East Wednesday.

However, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters after Hegseth’s remarks that “Iran’s theatre ballistic missile shots fired are down 86 per cent from the first day of fighting, with a 23 per cent decrease just in the last 24 hours.”

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

‘We respect your sovereignty’: Iran president

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday his government pursued diplomacy to avoid war but was forced to defend itself after U.S. and Israeli attacks.

“We respect your sovereignty,” Pezeshkian said on X in a message to neighboring countries and allies, “and believe the region’s security and stability has to be achieved through the collective efforts of its states.”

Iran has fired missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, although many munitions and debris from interceptions have hit civilian areas.

The Associated Press

Trump is a ‘man of action’: WH

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is speaking now, saying the U.S.’s goal is fourfold: The government wants to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, navy, regional capacity to “destabilize” and to guarantee the country cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.

She called U.S. President Donald Trump a “man of action,” who is different from prior leaders who have been “too weak.”

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist

Professor slams Carney government on Iran

Canada’s support of U.S. and Israeli action in Iran is a “very dark and embarrassing moment” for Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal government, according to Nader Hashemi, an associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“Mark Carney himself looks pretty bad at this moment,” Hashemi told CTV Your Morning on Wednesday. “In Davos two months ago, he gave this famous speech that was very well received, where he sort of lamented the passing of the old world order, defined by international law and rules, and then this new world order that was emerging, where the strong could beat up the weak.”

By supporting the U.S. and Israel in this conflict, Hashemi says, Carney has done a “180 degree turn” and become “a cheerleader for precisely the world order that he was condemning in Davos.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Will U.S. and Israel stay aligned?

As the U.S. and Israeli militaries continue to attack Iran and its proxies in the Middle East, a former Canadian diplomat says both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are walking a fine political line.

“I think the relationship (between them) will hold as long as they’re winning, and as long as they can continue to claim success,” Jon Allen, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel, told CTV News Channel Wednesday.

However, Trump may look to distance himself from the conflict in the future if there are an increased number of U.S. service personnel deaths or Iran-backed terrorist activities, he said.

“This threatens Donald Trump; his prospects, his polls, and what may happen in the November midterm elections,” said Allen. “So, if there’s a problem, I can see Trump disassociating himself as quickly as he can, declaring success and getting out.”

For Netanyahu, meanwhile, the political calculation is different, Allen argued, as his government looks ahead to an election of its own in October.

“As long as they’re destroying parts of Iranian infrastructure, killing Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (members) or others, then the Israeli people will support that,” he said.

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

Latest numbers on Canadians in the Middle East

According to the latest update from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), there are still nearly 104,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered in the Middle East, up from about 85,000 a couple days ago.

The number is an estimate because registration with the government department is voluntary.

There are still 2,958 people registered in Iran and 6,027 in Israel, GAC says.

The federal government is urging Canadians in the Middle East to register with GAC in order to receive updates about travel advisories, including for the latest information on available flights out of the region.

The countries to which Canada is warning to avoid all travel include: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Yemen. GAC is also advising to avoid non-essential travel to Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

“Global Affairs Canada is not currently offering assisted departures,” a release from the federal government states. “We are working on a range of options to support the potential departure of Canadians from several countries in the Middle East, by both land and air, where conditions allow it and it is safe to do so.”

Elsewhere in the Middle East, the number of Canadian citizens and permanent residents is:

• 1,586 in Bahrain
• 7,540 in Egypt
• 1,016 in Iraq
• 4,682 in Jordan
• 4,387 in Kuwait
• 23,561 in Lebanon
• 847 in Oman
• 444 in Palestine
• 9,064 in Qatar
• 11,873 in Saudi Arabia
• 1,496 in Syria
• 28,107 in the United Arab Emirates
• 227 in Yemen

Spencer Van Dyk, CTVNews.ca journalist

87 bodies recovered from Iran warship sinking

Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath says that by the time naval ships reached the location of the Iranian ship’s sinking, “there were only some oil patches and life rafts. We found people floating on the water.”

The U.S. military has said a torpedo from a U.S. submarine sank the ship.

The Associated Press

The ‘Carney doctrine’

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, during an address in Ottawa on defence, outlined how her government is implementing what she called the “Carney doctrine,” describing it as a pragmatic approach to complex world affairs.

She highlighted the $25 billion in support announced over the years for Ukraine’s war with Russia and plans for military expansion to protect the Arctic.

On the Mideast, Anand reiterated Canada’s position on Iran, calling it a “perpetrator of state terrorism” that has fuelled violence in the region and continues to pursue nuclear capabilities. On the latter point, she said Canada “regretfully” supports efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“We call on all sides to respect the rules of international engagement. International law binds all parties.”

Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist

Commercial seats available for Canadians

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says the federal government has secured “a limited number of seats” on commercial flights out of Lebanon for Canadians trying to flee the region.

Anand says more than 103,000 people have registered with Global Affairs Canada in the Middle East and Gulf region.

The Canadian government is not offering assisted departures from the region.

Israel’s ministry of tourism is operating buses to the border with Egypt and Anand says Global Affairs is communicating these options to the people who are registered.

Canadians are being advised to avoid all travel to a number of countries in the region as the U.S.-Iran conflict widens.

Anand says Canada has added diplomatic staff in neighbouring countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Jordan and Turkiye.

The Canadian Press

Can Canada meet international oil demand?

With oil shipments disrupted in the Persian Gulf due to the Iran war, Canadian Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says other countries are seeing Canada as a reliable supplier.

But can Canada fill the gap?

“We don’t have another pipeline that could deliver oil to markets that are begging for it,” Canadian economist Jeff Rubin told CTV Your Morning on Wednesday. “Other than the U.S., we really have nowhere else to sell it.”

Despite its vast reserves, Canada produces less oil than energy superpowers like Russia, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

“It takes more than having natural reserves to be an energy superpower, you have to have the political will to develop the infrastructure to deliver those reserves,” Rubin said. “The bottom-line reality is that without additional infrastructure, Canada’s vision of being an energy superpower, it’s unfortunately right now nothing more than a pipe dream.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

‘Not a fair fight’: Hegseth

At a Pentagon press briefing Wednesday morning, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said U.S. and Israeli aircraft will rain “death and destruction from the sky all day long” as the war in Iran continues.

He said the U.S. military is engaged in the conflict from a position of strength and is acting boldly to accomplish its objectives in Iran, adding “‘this was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight.”

Since fighting began over the weekend, hundreds of deaths have been reported in Iran, while at least 10 have been reported dead in Israel. Six U.S. service personnel were also killed during retaliatory Iranian airstrikes, U.S. officials confirmed.

“We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be,” Hegseth said.

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

‘They are toast’: Hegseth

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the American military’s joint offensive with Israel against Iran has led to “sheer destruction for our radical Islamist Iranian adversaries.”

“They are toast, and they know it, or at least soon enough they will know it, and we’ve only just begun to hunt, dismantle, demoralize, destroy and defeat their capabilities just four days in,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon press briefing.

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

U.S., Israel control air space: Hegseth

Hegseth said Israel and the U.S. will have “complete control” of Iranian air space in under a week.

“We will fly all day, all night, finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles and defence industrial base of the Iranian military, finding and fixing their leaders and their military leaders,” said Hegseth.

“(It will mean) Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only U.S. and Israeli air power every minute of every day, until we decide it’s over and Iran will be able to do nothing about it.”

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

U.S. submarine sinks Iranian warship

Hegseth says a torpedo from a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship.

In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the Tuesday night strike on an Iranian warship was the first such attack on an enemy since the Second World War.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.”

The Associated Press

Turkiye talks with Iran over intercepted missile

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has spoken by phone with his Iranian counterpart after an Iranian ballistic missile that was detected heading toward Turkish airspace Wednesday was intercepted.

During the call with Abbas Araghchi, Turkiye stressed that “all steps that could escalate the conflict and contribute to its spread” must be avoided, a Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.

The Associated Press

Container ship attacked off Oman

A container ship was attacked Wednesday afternoon off the coast of Oman, causing fire in its engine room, an agency of the U.K. military said.

The vessel was transiting eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz, 2 nautical miles north of Oman, when it was hit by an unknown projectile, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UKMTO.

Oman, long an intermediary between the West and Iran, has repeatedly come under attack by Iran.

The Associated Press

Top cleric says Iran ‘close’ to choosing next supreme leader

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami is a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body charged with picking a new leader. His comments were aired on state television.

“The options have become clear,” Khatami said. Other top officials have indicated a decision may be close.

The Associated Press

Sirens go off again in Israel

Sirens have gone off in Jerusalem and elsewhere for simultaneous launches from Lebanon and Iran.

Israel’s military earlier said it is seeing a decline in launches from Iran as the campaign enters its fifth day.

The Associated Press

Iran wants Iraq to lean on opposition groups

An Iraqi official says a senior Iranian official requested that Iraq take measures to prevent Iranian opposition groups based there from breaching the border.

A statement says Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the request in a call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji.

The Associated Press

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issues most intense threat yet

The guard says it is prepared for the “complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.” The statement came via Iranian state television.

“The continued mischief and deception by the United States in the region will come at the cost of the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure,” it says.

It alleges, without offering evidence, that the U.S. military was using “civilian facilities ... as cover.”

The Associated Press

Death toll in Iran rises

The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said Wednesday.

The Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll, saying it represented the number of bodies so far identified and prepared for burial.

The Associated Press

Turkiye, NATO forced to respond to Iran missile attack

An Iranian ballistic missile was shot down in Turkish airspace after passing over Syria and Iraq.

NATO air defence, stationed in the eastern mediterranean, shot down the Iranian warhead.

This is the first time since the war began that a NATO nation-member has been targeted by Iran.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan saying today that “we are taking all kinds of precautions in close consultation with our NATO allies, and we are making the necessary intervention immediately. We are giving warnings in the clearest way possible for similar incidents not to occur again.”

A shared Turkish, United States and NATO air base in Adana, Turkiye has been a concern as a potential target for some in this region since this conflict began.

The attempted missile strike in Turkiye, makes it the 11th country targeted by Iran since the war began.

Adrian Ghobrial, CTV National News senior correspondent

Canada’s leader says the world order is rupturing

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney say he sees the war as an extreme example of a rupturing world order in which countries increasingly act without respect for international norms and laws.

“Geo-strategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,” Carney said at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank.

But whether the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran broke international law was “a judgment for others to make,” he said.

The Associated Press

Shiite leader in Iraq says attack on Iran a violation of international law

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a prominent religious leader based in Iraq, condemned the “military aggression” against Iran. He said attacking a country that is a member of the United Nations without UN approval is a violation of international law.

The Iran-born al-Sistani, who is one of the world’s most influential Shiite clerics, warned that war would cause widespread chaos and prolonged unrest “that will bring calamities to the peoples of the region and to the interests of others as well.”

Al-Sistani is based in the holy Shiite city of Najaf.

The Associated Press

Mourning ceremony for Khamenei postponed

Iranian state television on Wednesday afternoon said the mourning ceremony for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been postponed and would be held later after intense strikes targeted Tehran.

The Associated Press

Ex-pat in Dubai recounts facing high prices in search for safety

A Hong Kong expatriate living in Dubai moved hotels twice and encountered high prices for hotels and flights out of the country in her search for safety.

Agnes Chen Pun, a partner at an investment firm, said she was afraid her home in Dubai near the Burj Khalifa skyscraper could be targeted. That prompted her to move Monday into a resort in Fujairah on the eastern coast of the UAE, an around 1.5-hour drive from Dubai.

After spending a peaceful night in Fujairah, however, a fire broke at the port there.

“We see the dark smoke,” she said. “Everyone is like running, rushing in the (hotel) lobby.”

There were limited flights leaving UAE or Oman, and she considered taking a private jet from Oman back to Asia, as some others were doing. The cost, however, was as much as US$268,000 for a 13-seat private jet flight.

She finally secured commercial flight tickets at around $2,200 per person for economy class seats for her family for an Emirates flight scheduled to fly out of Dubai to Singapore Wednesday evening.

The Associated Press

Sinking vessel is one of Iran’s newest warships

The Iranian vessel that was sinking off of Sri Lanka, the IRIS Dena, is one of Iran’s newest warships.

The frigate was the centerpiece of a two-ship international tour in 2023 that included port calls in countries including South Africa and Brazil. It was accompanied by the support ship IRIS Makran, a converted oil tanker.

The U.S. Treasury Department included both ships on a sanctions designation in February 2023 along with eight executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer that supplied the weapons to Russia for use against civilian targets in Ukraine.

The Associated Press

Israel orders people in villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate

The Israeli military is ordering people living in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel to evacuate and move “immediately” north of the Litani River.

The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson warned people on X that if they decide to move south of the river they will be endangering their lives.

The area south of the Litani River is mostly along the border with Israel. The Lebanese government says it has cleared the area of Hezbollah’s military presence there over the past months.

The Associated Press

Israel sees decline in launches from Iran

Israel is seeing a decline in launches from Iran as the campaign enters its fifth day, military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said.

Defrin also said Israel is not surprised by any new weapons Iran may use and had prepared extensively for the confrontation.

He said Israel would continue to “hunt and destroy” Iran’s military capabilities.

The Associated Press

Israel says it struck more than 250 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in 2 days

Israel has struck more than 250 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past 48 hours, an Israeli army spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Effie Defrin said in a recorded statement that the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah had been launching rockets at Israel overnight.

Defrin said Israel would continue to target Hezbollah until “the threat is removed.”

“I emphasize: We have no issue with the people of Lebanon. The people of Lebanon are paying the price for the Iranian regime,” he said.

The Associated Press

32 rescued from sinking Iranian naval ship off Sri Lankan coast

A top Sri Lankan official says 32 people have been rescued from a sinking Iranian naval ship off Sri Lanka’s southern coast have been admitted to a hospital.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, a top health ministry official, says one of them is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are treated for minor injuries.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that Sri Lanka’s navy received information that the ship IRIS Dena with 180 onboard was under distress, and that the island nation sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.

There were no immediate details as to how the sailors were wounded and how the ship was damaged.

The Associated Press

Kuwait is targeted again

Kuwait’s military said a new wave of Iranian missiles and drone was targeting the tiny Mideast nation.

Judiciary chief threatens Iranians who support U.S.-Israeli campaign

Iran’s judiciary chief threatened “those who say or do anything” in support of the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign targeting the Islamic Republic.

Gholam Hosseini Mohseni Ejehei’s remarks raised the possibility of those detained facing death-penalty charges, as cooperating with an enemy can carry execution if convicted.

Speaking on state television, he said: “Those who say or do anything in line with the will of America and the Zionist regime are on the enemy’s side and must be dealt with on revolutionary, Islamic principles and in accordance with the time of war.”

The Associated Press

British government plans flight to evacuate stranded citizens

The British government says a chartered flight will take off from Oman late Wednesday to bring back some of the thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf.

It says the most vulnerable will be prioritized for the first of what is expected to be a series of flights.

The Foreign Office says more than 130,000 British nationals in the Middle East have registered their presence with the government since the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict broke out, though not all are trying to leave. Many of those are in the United Arab Emirates, and the government has advised against trying to travel overland to Oman.

Commercial airlines are also starting to resume some flights, with Etihad, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic all due to operate flights from the UAE to London on Wednesday.

The Associated Press

Israel says it has shot down a piloted Iranian aircraft over Tehran

The Israeli military said one of its F-35 stealth fighter jets shot down a piloted Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter over Tehran on Wednesday. Israel described it as the first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft by the fighter jet.

The Associated Press

Iran’s top diplomat says Trump betrayed his voters

Iran’s top diplomat is again criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump as America and Israel continue their airstrike campaign targeting his country in the war.

Abbas Araghchi said that “Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him.”

“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” Araghchi wrote on X. “The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”

The war began Saturday after Israel launched an airstrike killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. and Iran had held three rounds of nuclear negotiations prior to the start of the war, but no deal had been reached.

The Associated Press

An anxious Tehran resident is torn about whether to leave

As the fighter jets roared overhead, those still in Tehran looked anxiously to the skies.

One man who ran a clothing shop said he didn’t know what, if anything, he could do.

“It’s very difficult to decide what to do. If I leave the city, how am I supposed to earn money and survive?” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“I just hope the Arabs do not get involved. If they do, their missiles won’t be as precise as these.”

By Jon Gambrell

The Associated Press

Airstrikes reported in other Iranian cities

Airstrikes also were reported in the Iranian cities of Urmiah and Kermanshah.

The Associated Press

Israel says ‘broad scale strikes’ underway in Tehran

The Israeli military said it had begun “broad scale strikes” in Tehran.

The Associated Press

More airstrikes hit Tehran

Airstrikes struck eastern Tehran later Wednesday morning, witnesses said.

The Associated Press

Ukraine’s foreign minister discusses situation in Middle East with Saudi counterpart

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday he discussed the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and its global security implications with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Sybiha expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemned what he described as Iran’s aggression, saying it threatens regional stability.

He said the two sides discussed the risks of further escalation and the need for diplomatic solutions, stressing that protecting civilians must remain a priority.

Sybiha noted that Ukraine has firsthand experience with missile and drone warfare, including daily attacks involving Shahed drones.

He said Kyiv is ready to share its expertise with partners facing similar threats.

Earlier, he spoke with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Sabah.

“For Ukraine, this threat is not abstract. We face daily missile and drone attacks, including Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia against our cities and civilians,” Sybiha wrote on X.

The Associated Press

Israel says whoever is chosen as Iran’s next supreme leader will be ‘a target for elimination’

Israel’s defence minister on Wednesday threatened whoever Iran picks to be the country’s next supreme leader, saying he will be “a target for elimination.”

Israel Katz made the statement on X.

“Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people — will be a target for elimination,” he wrote.

Israel targeted a building Tuesday associated with Iran’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the new supreme leader.

Israel killed the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike Saturday that started the war.

The Associated Press

Qatar Airways flights grounded until at least Friday

Qatar Airways will remain grounded until at least Friday, the airline said.

New airstrikes in Beirut, Israeli military says

Israel’s military said it began new airstrikes in Beirut.

The Associated Press

Strike on Beirut suburb hotel came without warning, guest says

People staying in a hotel in a southeastern suburb of Beirut said the strike that hit the second floor came without warning.

Maggie Shibli, wife of the owner of the Hotel Comfort in the Hazmieh neighbourhood, said they were sleeping when the missile hit.

“We live in a country where a missile can fall on your head at any moment,” she said.

Abbas Najdeh, who was displaced from the southern port city of Tyre and was staying at the hotel, said “we were sleeping then suddenly I, my children and my wife were thrown away.”

He added there was no warning.

The Associated Press

U.S. State Department orders non-emergency staff and families in Pakistan’s Lahore and Karachi to leave

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency staff and their families working in the consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave the country due to safety concerns.

Staff at the embassy in the capital Islamabad were not affected by the order.

Pakistan shares a long western border with Iran and has a sizable Shiite Muslim minority.

At least 10 people were killed in Karachi on Sunday after protesters attempted to storm the consulate in the city, Pakistan’s largest.

The Associated Press

Public mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei starts Wednesday

Starting Wednesday, there will be three nights of public mourning with the casket containing the body of the late 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran’s capital, Tehran, Iranian state television reported.

The ceremony will take place at the Grand Mosalla of Tehran.

The Associated Press

Iran’s latest salvo launched 40 ballistic missiles, state TV says

Iranian state television said the latest salvo in the war saw Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launch 40 ballistic missiles at targets associated with the U.S. military in the Mideast.

It said it targeted Irbil in Iraq, two military bases in Kuwait, and two U.S. warships.

The Associated Press

Beirut wakes up to drones and another evacuation warning

Strikes hit Lebanon overnight, including in several towns and on a hotel in a suburb right next to the capital.

Beirut woke up to the sounds of drones whizzing overhead.

The Israeli military warned residents in a southern suburb to flee ahead of a morning airstrike, as more displaced people fleeing the conflict pour into the capital seeking shelter.

The Associated Press

Israel strikes towns near Beirut, killing at least 6

Overnight Israeli strikes on towns near Beirut have killed at least six people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said early Wednesday.

Israel struck the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat just south of Beirut’s international airport, killing six and wounding eight others.

It also struck a hotel in the Beirut suburb of Hazmieh. No casualties were immediately reported there.

The strikes came without warning and the Israeli military did not immediately disclose the targets.

The Associated Press