As tensions in the Middle East intensify following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, says Iran may want to escalate its military response—but might lack the means to do so effectively.
“Iran would like to escalate in response to the Israeli and American attacks,” Rae said in a televised interview with CTV News Channel on Monday. “But we will see exactly whether Iran is actually able to effectively respond.”
His remarks came hours after Iran launched short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a key U.S. military installation that houses the Combined Air Operations Center and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest of its kind globally.
Iran labeled the missile barrage as a “mighty and successful response” to what it called “America’s aggression,” following the bombing of three of its nuclear sites by U.S. forces less than 24 hours earlier.
But Rae questioned Tehran’s long-term capacity to wage a broader campaign.
“Much of Iran’s capacity to respond has been really impacted,” he noted, pointing to the significant blows dealt to Iran’s strategic infrastructure by recent Israeli and American strikes.
At the heart of the crisis, Rae stressed, is Iran’s accelerating nuclear ambitions.
“Without admitting to it, Iran has rapidly increased attempts to become a country with nuclear weapons,” he said. “From all the evidence we have, they seem to be trying to do that at breakneck speed.”
While the U.S. has made it clear it will not tolerate Iran crossing the nuclear threshold, Rae cautioned that the path ahead could be volatile.
“It’s not clear whether the American initiative will be able to succeed without creating more disruption and warfare,” he added.
With regional and global powers recalibrating their positions, Rae warned that decisions made in the coming days could have lasting consequences.
“We are watching a very dangerous moment unfold,” he said. “And it’s one that could shape the region’s future for years to come.”
Canada continues to monitor the situation closely and is urging restraint and a return to diplomacy.