Canadian PM implores US, Israel to respect rules of int’l engagement
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday expressed regret over the failure of the international order in the Middle East, imploring all parties, including the United States and Israel, to “respect the rules of international engagement.”
“Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal,” he told reporters in Sydney during his visit to Australia, according to a statement issued Tuesday.
Despite decades of UN Security Council resolutions and efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran’s nuclear threat remains, he said. However, the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada, he added.
Canada reaffirms that international law binds all belligerents, Carney said, noting that “resolution of this crisis requires commitment to a broader political solution” and diplomatic engagement “is essential to avoid a wider and deeper conflict.”
U.S. envoy Witkoff ceases diplomacy with Iran following strikes: CNN
The U.S. president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran in recent months, has not engaged in diplomacy with Iran following joint U.S.-Israel strikes on the country, CNN reported Tuesday.
The report suggests that the Trump administration has, at least for the time being, shifted away from diplomatic efforts while continuing military actions against Iran.
Witkoff has not spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in the days “since this thing went kinetic,” the report quoted a senior Trump administration official as saying.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that it’s too late for U.S.-Iran negotiations, arguing that the United States held the military advantage.
In another post, the U.S. president boasted “unlimited supply” of weapons, dismissing a Wall Street Journal report that highlighted the rapid depletion of air-defense interceptors and other munitions in strikes against Iran, which is reportedly “straining its stockpiles.”
US Central Command says 17 Iranian ships destroyed so far
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that U.S. forces have destroyed 17 Iranian ships, sinking the entire Iranian navy.
“Many of you may remember the shock and awe strikes of 2003. The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale, and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran, from seabed to space and cyberspace,” Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a video posted on the social platform X.
“Now we’re less than 100 hours into this operation, and we’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” said Cooper.
“We are also sinking the Iranian Navy, the entire navy. Thus far, we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine that now has a hole in its side,” he said.
CENTCOM also said that the Iranian side has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones since the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Spanish gov’t says having necessary resources to contain possible impact of trade embargo by US
The Spanish government said on Tuesday that it has the necessary resources to contain the potential impact of a trade embargo after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade ties with Spain, according to Spanish media reports.
The government said any related measures must respect business autonomy, international law and bilateral agreements between the European Union and the United States.
It noted that Spain is an important member of NATO and a major exporting country within the European Union, maintaining long-term trade relations with 195 countries, including the United States. The government stressed that it will support sectors that may be affected and promote supply chain diversification.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz described Trump’s remarks as “unacceptable,” saying Spain would not accept external pressure.
Trump on Tuesday threatened to “cut off all trade with Spain” over Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. military to use its bases for attacks on Iran. He made the remarks to reporters at the start of his talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office.
France cannot approve military actions by U.S., Israel: Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the military operations launched by the United States and Israel were conducted “outside international law” and could not be approved by France.
In a televised address on the situation in Iran and the Middle East, Macron confirmed that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was en route to the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel had been in Sweden for military exercises. GT
