Canada could provide vessels, cyber support to clear Strait of Hormuz if there's a ceasefire: minister
Posted on: Mar 26, 2026 22:55 IST | Posted by: Cbc
Defence authorities minister saint david McGuinty says the union soldier government is considering sending vessels and cyber expertise to facilitate reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint at the centre of a burgeoning global energy crisis — if there is a ceasefire.
"Vessels, de-mining expertise, intelligence, cyber capacities — these are all on the table as we share this knowhow with our counterparts to see what is the best way to go forward," he said.
"But again, this is predicated on the notion that there will be a ceasefire."
Iran has effectively halted traffic through the strait — which usually sees 20 per cent of the world's petroleum and nearly a fifth of global liquefied natural gas flow through it — since the American and Israeli-led offensive began a month ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to step up with military resources, including warships and troops, to help patrol the strait — but many, including Canada, have rebuffed that call.
Trump seeks help in the Strait of Hormuz
As ceasefire negotiations stop and start, allies have been signalling a willingness to help in other ways.
Last week Canada signed on to a joint statement from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan calling on Iran to immediately cease all attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and offered that they are ready to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait."
Asked at the time what that contribution would look like, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said "any potential support would be guided by the needs on the ground, Canada's legal and policy frameworks and ongoing consultations with partners and allies."
McGuinty said the French government, which is leading the potential initiative, has stipulated "that it wants to see a ceasefire before we enter into that fray."
"This is something we've been very clear about: we are not getting engaged in the prosecution of this war," he said
The minister added Anand and Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan are in conversations with their counterparts on next steps.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, while announcing that Canada crossed the threshold of meeting NATO's defence spending benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product, defended the limited information his government has released about the war so far, arguing disclosure could endanger operations.
The government has been criticized for not telling the public about potential damage to Canadian assets at a Kuwait airbase.
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