Amid a widening conflict in the Middle East, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to 10 countries, with the agency saying more than 85,000 Canadians and permanent residents are currently registered as being in the in the region. On Saturday, the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran, targeting the country’s leadership, and later confirming Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. Retaliatory strikes have since widened the conflict in the region. According to GAC, as of Monday morning, there are 2,932 Canadians and permanent residents in Iran and 6,006 in Israel. GAC says the federal government is not aware of any Canadians who have been injured or killed as a result of the hostilities. Adding the caveat that these numbers are an estimate, because registration is voluntary and some people may have already left the region, GAC is also listing: “Canada condemns the strikes carried out by Iran on civilian infrastructure,” reads a statement from the federal government. “These attacks are a dangerous threat to regional stability and civilian safety.” “They represent an unacceptable escalation and a blatant attempt to further destabilize the region,” the statement continues. “Attacks that endanger civilians and civilian infrastructure are deeply concerning and must cease immediately.” The statement adds that Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has been in touch with several of her counterparts, including in Kuwait, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The federal government is urging Canadians in the Middle East to register with GAC in order to receive updates about travel advisories. Speaking to reporters in India on Saturday, Anand said non-essential diplomatic staff in Tel Aviv have been asked to relocate, but not elsewhere in the region. According to GAC, Canadian missions staff in the Middle East are “safe and accounted for.” The agency is also deploying members of the Standing Rapid Deployment Team — employees on standby to respond to emergency situations — to the region to assist in a handful of countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Jordan, Turkmenistan and Türkiye. She also reiterated the information provided online by GAC, urging Canadians to register with the agency, and warning to avoid all travel to both Israel and Iran. Canadians are also advised to avoid all travel to several other Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Canadians are also being cautioned to avoid non-essential travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. GAC is warning that consular services during “active conflict” is “limited,” and that staff is prioritizing essential services, so Canadians and permanent residents in affected countries should “prepare contingency plans” independently of the federal government. With files from CTV News’ Abigail Bimman
