Iran’s attacks on Gulf ships ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unjustified’: Foreign Minister Anand

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says it’s “unacceptable” that Iran has launched attacks on commercial ships in recent days as it attempts to tighten its grip over the Strait of Hormuz.

Anand met with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Thursday and she says Canada stands alongside Persian Gulf countries as Iran lashes out against them.

Speaking with reporters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Anand says ceasefires are always fragile but it’s “unjustified” for Iran to strike civilian targets.

The comments follow new airstrikes the United States launched against Iran early Thursday, and as Tehran fired back at Gulf countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that recent Iranian attacks targeting ships transiting the strait, a major global trade choke point, ended the ceasefire.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters at the NATO summit Wednesday that Iran has been acting “irresponsibly” and described the U.S. response as “appropriate.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press

By Kyle Duggan | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.