Canada PM Carney calls for de-escalation in Middle East

March 4 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday called for de-escalation in the Middle East and said all countries engaged in hostilities, including the U.S. and Israel, must respect international rules of engagement.

"Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal," Carney told reporters in Sydney, Australia while on a foreign visit.

U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran over the weekend after negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program stalled. The war has since spread rapidly beyond Iran's borders, with Iranian retaliatory strikes hitting U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, prompting Washington to shut diplomatic missions across the region.

When asked about previous comments he made supporting the United Nations Charter's prohibition of the use of force, Carney said "it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law," but said it was up to the U.S. and Israel to make the case whether they were consistent with international law.

"It's for others more expert than me ... to make that determination," he said.

Carney said Canada was not informed in advance of the strikes and was not asked to participate.

"We would not have been in a position ... to take a judgment that met our standards if we had been asked to participate," Carney said.

After the strikes began on Saturday, Carney said Canada supports the U.S. "acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security."