Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand declared that Ottawa wants a change of government in Iran, according to Reuters.
While underscoring Canada’s opposition to the current regime, Anand did not clarify whether Ottawa would back a US military strike.
“We will not open diplomatic relationships with Iran unless there is a regime change. Period,” Anand told the Globe and Mail during the Munich Security Conference held in Germany.
In 2012, Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran following years of poor relations.
Anand has intensified Canada’s hard line on Tehran, declaring fresh sanctions against seven Iranian officials tied to the regime.
She also noted that Canada’s focus in the region is the repression of human rights.
Anand’s remarks came at a crucial time as the US military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack.
On Friday, Trump embraced the prospect of regime change in Iran as the Pentagon boosted its military presence in the region with a second aircraft carrier.
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