US President Donald Trump hasn’t yet directly asked Canada for help with the idiotic war he is waging on Iran — at least not as far as we know. But he has appealed to American allies and he’s been told over and over: this is your mess. Canada should say the same.

The relationship between Canada and our largest trading partner is tense right now, to say the least. But the group of US allies has traditionally included our country, so as the war drags on, Canada must be ready with an answer. The hostilities with Iran have already stalled tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, choking off fossil fuel supplies to many countries — including China — and spiking prices worldwide. Protecting tankers and freighters as they traverse the narrow channel is risky, which is why Trump reached out for help to keep the waterway open and more recently has even allowed some Iranian oil tankers safe passage.

Knowing Trump, he wouldn’t hesitate to tie a request for military assistance to future considerations during pending free trade negotiations with Canada. But at this point in his deranged presidency, there’s no way we should trust him to make good on any promise. If the day comes that Prime Minister Mark Carney is asked to join the war or the Hormuz protection brigade, Canada should follow Germany’s lead and respond with a hard no. 

Germany’s........

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