PoliticsPrime Minister Mark Carney says a lengthy conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump went well beyond NATO, covering Iran, Middle East security, Arctic defence and Canada's military spending plans. Carney also predicted Canada will hit four per cent of GDP spent on defence by 2029, ahead of NATO's planned review.Prime minister says call also covered Arctic defenceMurray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Jun 25, 2026 2:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Prime Minister Mark Carney said his most recent call with the U.S. president covered a range of international issues. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump talked about NATO, Iran and the wider security situation in the Middle East on Wednesday in what the prime minister described as a "constructive conversation."Speaking at a news conference heading into Parliament's summer break on Thursday, the prime minister said the president called him and the talks, at times, involved senior White House officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.A readout from the Prime Minister's Office, shortly after the conversation on Wednesday, referenced only the talks about NATO. The conversation happened on the same day as the Western alliance's secretary general, Mark Rutte, met Trump in the Oval Office in preparation for next month's leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey."We had a long discussion with him," said Carney, adding that only a portion of what they talked about related to NATO. "Some related to the situation in Iran and the broader Middle East, both current and structural issues. It was a very constructive conversation, those things we're working on together. I think those are best left till they come to fruition."WATCH | Carney on his call with Trump:Carney: Trump 'called me' to discuss NATO and Iran2 hours ago|Duration 2:33Prime Minister Mark Carney says he had a long discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday on issues including NATO, Iran and 'the broader Middle East.' When asked by a reporter about the U.S. acknowledging that Canada is hitting its NATO spending targets, Carney said that 'Canada is pulling its weight now.'Canada and other allies have committed to defensive, independent maritime missions to conduct mine clearance and reassure commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed during the war with the United States and Israel. One of the long-term structural proposals Canada has been involved in includes the establishment of an independent Hormuz International Maritime Authority to prevent future economic blockades.Additionally, Canada has been actively co-ordinating G7 pressure to ensure Iran doesn't stall verification of its uranium stockpile. It is pushing for comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to heavily damaged enrichment sites. Carney says he had several talks with Trump during G7 despite no official meetingHot mic moment at G7 catches Carney, Trump talking about Chinese EVsCarney also revealed he spoke with Trump about how Canada is working with other NATO allies to secure the Arctic.During the question and answer session with journalists, he underlined Canada's increase in defence investment and predicted that the country will be spending four per cent of the gross domestic product on defence by 2029 (2.5 per cent directly on the military and 1.5 per cent on defence infrastructure). That's the year the alliance is scheduled to formally review the spending benchmark.ABOUT THE AUTHORMurray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa.Follow Murray Brewster on Twitter