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Or sign-in if you have an account.Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves at the 2026 NATO Leaders Summit on July 8, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Photo by Serdar Ozsoy/Getty ImagesANKARA, TURKEY — Prime Minister Mark Carney said Washington responded “as appropriate” to Tehran’s attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, declared that the ceasefire with Iran is “over” and threatened further attacks. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorCarney was reacting to news of the U.S. military launching new strikes against Iran, hours after the U.S. said Tehran struck three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces retaliated by attacking U.S. military sites in the Persian Gulf.Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara Wednesday morning, Carney said “a period of extreme de-escalation” had been put in place during the six days of mourning this week for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran at the start of the war. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte greets Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada during a welcome ceremony of allied heads of state and government, on July 8, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Photo by Win McNamee /Getty ImagesColumnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Channel Israel will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againCarney said Tehran had been “acting irresponsibly” by attacking Saudi and Qatari targets during the period of mourning. Several media reports have identified the targets as a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier and a Saudi oil tanker.The prime minister reiterated his strong language about Iran when talking to Canadian reporters.“That’s irresponsible. It’s not right, and the United States has responded as appropriate to look to stop this behaviour and put in place these conditions to re-establish ceasefire,” he said in response to a question from National Post.Speaking of the U.S.-Iran peace deal, Carney said it is “evidently a fragile situation.” This handout picture released by the Turkish Presidential Press Office on July 7, 2026 shows Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan welcoming Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney during a reception hosted for heads of state and government attending the 36th NATO Summit at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. Photo by HANDOUT /TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVINATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed with Carney that the U.S. strikes were “absolutely necessary” given that Iran was violating the ceasefire.“I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react,” he told reporters.The situation in Iran came up during Wednesday’s meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which includes the leaders of all 32 NATO members states.“Allies reiterate that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” reads the final communique after the meeting. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney as he arrives for the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN /POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBut not all allies were as supportive of the U.S. strikes on Iran as Carney and Rutte.“I think it is justified to try to avoid that Iran develops a nuclear weapon, of course,” said the prime minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, as he made his way to the summit.Whether the U.S. operation was “well-planned, well-executed, that’s another matter,” he said.The president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, shared his concerns about further escalation of the crisis in the Middle East but said he stands in solidarity with Washington.“It’s very important that we continue the work for a diplomatic solution to the Iran war; everyone is working very hard on that and we’re confident we can reach a final deal,” added the prime minister of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten. Prime Minister Mark Carney (L), his wife, Diana Fox Carney, and Turkey’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek review troops during a welcome ceremony at Esenboga Airport to attend the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara on July 7, 2026. Photo by ABDULLAH GUCLU /POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe developing situation in the Middle East overshadowed a summit that was supposed to showcase how Canada and European allies are stepping up with billions of dollars more in defence spending to share the burden with the United States in case of a war.Trump first commented on the overnight attacks before a bilateral meeting with Rutte. “We have attacked very powerfully last night the very dangerous people from Iran,” he said. “They’re sick. There’s something wrong with them. We said, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships.”“So, I don’t like them at all. And, frankly, I think we waste a lot of time with them.”.@POTUS on the status of the ceasefire with Iran: "To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... They're led by sick people... I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate—they're good people... but they have to come back to me. As far… pic.twitter.com/6eYfwMxSdn— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026Trump also criticized NATO allies once again for not assisting in the fight with Iran and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while also insisting that the U.S. did not need their help anyway.“Italy turned us down and Germany turned us down and France turned us down,” he said during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday.“And that’s OK. But why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars (on NATO), and they’re not there for us? We’ve always been there for them.”On Wednesday, Rutte described the European lack of participation with Iran as “isolated cases.” European allies had noted at the time of initial U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran in February that they had not been consulted in advance.Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would “probably hit (Iran) hard again tonight,” while adding that he does not think the attacks will result in “long-term” military action.“Anything that happens is going to happen very fast,” Trump said. Asked if the ceasefire with Iran is over, Trump said: “To me, I think it’s over.”“I don’t want to deal with them, but they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum, they’re sick people, they’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people.”However, he said he would allow his negotiators to keep talking with Iranian negotiators.National Post calevesque@postmedia.comOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.