As tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, Canada faces a defining foreign policy test. While we are not a military power in the region, we are a country that claims to stand for international law and human rights. In the face of mounting violence, Prime Minister Mark Carney must decide whether Canada will remain muted or take a principled stand, however modest, in defence of civilian lives and global norms.

Israel’s conduct is at the heart of this volatile moment. For more than three decades, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Iran is “months away” from developing a nuclear weapon. This apocalyptic warning has been repeated so often that it should have lost any credibility. Yet it has resurfaced once again, now serving as a pretext for pre-emptive military strikes.

Iran has consistently denied it seeks to develop nuclear weapons. As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is permitted to enrich uranium for civilian purposes, and its nuclear facilities are subject to international inspection. Israel, by contrast, is widely believed to possess a clandestine nuclear arsenal. It is one of four countries in the world that has never signed the NPT and has long evaded international scrutiny about its arsenal, largely due to its relationship with the United States.

The recent Israeli strike on Iranian territory — launched just days before Tehran was expected to resume nuclear talks — raises serious questions. Was it a defensive act, or a deliberate provocation by a government accustomed to operating with impunity? It would be reasonable to assume the latter. The strike fits a broader pattern of regional destabilization that Canada can no longer afford to ignore.

We’ve seen this playbook before. In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq based on nuclear intelligence that was later discredited. Netanyahu was a vocal advocate of that war. The consequences were terrible: hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, the rise of ISIS, and billions of American dollars spent on a conflict now widely regarded as unnecessary. Today, the conditions feel eerily familiar.

Meanwhile, Gaza lies in ruins. Human rights organizations — including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch — as well as international legal experts have raised credible concerns that Israel’s military actions amount to genocide. More than 50,000 Palestinians are dead. The entire population faces mass starvation, with no end to the violence in sight.

And yet, Israel continues to evade accountability. Western governments — including Canada — have been frustratingly slow to condemn its actions. These same governments emphasize Israel’s “right to defend itself” as a sovereign nation. But what about Iran? Is it not a sovereign nation, too? This glaring double standard undermines the very principles we claim to uphold. 

The point we must make in Canada is that no ally, no matter how strategic, should ever be above the law. The trampling of human rights, regardless of who commits them, is inexcusable.

This is not a defense of the Iranian regime. Iran’s government is authoritarian, and its people have shown extraordinary courage in resisting it for four decades. The Woman, Life, Freedom protests offer a vivid reminder of the struggle for freedom and dignity. But the Iranian people do not need Israeli airstrikes to “liberate” them. What they need is meaningful international solidarity and an end to the sanctions that have made life much harder for ordinary people.   

In truth, it’s not the authoritarianism of the Iranian regime that offends Israel or the United States — it’s that the Mullahs refuse to bow to American rule. They’re not rolling out red carpets or gifting luxury jets like Qatar. They won’t host American troops on Iranian soil. And they arm militant proxies. But the issue has never been about human rights. It has always been about obedience. The United States is more than willing to align itself with repressive regimes. What it cannot tolerate is defiance, especially from a nation sitting atop vast natural resources.

Students of international relations understand that no nation willingly accepts being bombed into submission. Israel’s actions have cornered Iran’s government, leaving it little choice but to respond. Far from advancing human rights, this only gives the regime a pretext to crack down on dissidents and intensify its domestic repression.

No one can say for certain what will happen next. But with over 40,000 U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East, Iran’s ties with Russia, and China’s regional interests, the conditions for a much broader conflict are ripe. The humanitarian consequences would be catastrophic, as would the global economic fallout.

In a world where authoritarianism is on the rise and figures like Trump seek to rule with an iron fist, Prime Minister Mark Carney has a rare and urgent opportunity to speak with clarity: human rights matter universally and without exception. Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the bombing of Iran are not just concerning, they are unacceptable. Diplomacy and good-faith negotiations must always be prioritized over military actions.

Taking a principled stand may not shift global power dynamics overnight, but it would reflect the values that many Canadians hold dear: a genuine commitment to peace, justice, and human rights. By aligning our foreign policy with our professed principles, Canada can begin to rebuild its international credibility — not as a superpower, but as a nation willing to speak honestly, even when it is inconvenient. 

This will require us to break from American foreign policy, which will not be easy. But history shows that moral clarity in difficult times is the true mettle of leadership. Canada must find the courage to chart its own course.

Jasmine Ramze Rezaee is a Toronto-based advocate and writer focused on feminist, social, and political issues. The views expressed are her own.