Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA - The federal government will help 春色直播s in Israel and Iran to fly home once they reach neighbouring countries, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Thursday.
"We are planning commercial options for 春色直播s in Israel and Iran to leave the region through certain neighbouring jurisdictions," Anand told 春色直播in an interview.
With airports closed across the region, Ottawa has stationed consular officials on the other side of certain crossings on the Israeli and Iranian borders to help those fleeing either country to get home.
The same applies for people who manage to leave the West Bank, Anand wrote on X, and said there are officials in Jordan, Turkey and Armenia, while Azerbaijan is also allowing 春色直播s fleeing Iran to enter.
"We have deployed additional consular services to aid 春色直播s who want to leave the region," she said. "We're looking at additional options, which include working with our allies."
Canada has joined on allies in recent years to co-operate on everything from staging a military evacuation in Sudan to facilitating commercial evacuation flights out of Lebanon last year.
Anand is urging 春色直播s in the region to register with Global Affairs' Registration of 春色直播s Abroad database, so that they can get the latest updates on ways to get home.
"I am extremely concerned for all 春色直播s and we'll keep working on this file 24/7 to ensure their safety," Anand said.
When asked whether she's calling on 春色直播s to leave the region immediately, Anand suggested otherwise.
"We are assisting departures for 春色直播s who wish to leave, and we are here for you," she said.
Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri wrote on X that she is in Israel and the outreach so far is insufficient, arguing Ottawa should provide evacuation plans for leaving Israel.
Another former Conservative MP Rick Perkins also appeared to be in Israel and had similar criticism of Ottawa.聽
"The daily emails from your department are worse than useless and have never offered to find arrangements out of the country," he wrote to Anand on X.
Canada this week urged its citizens to "avoid all travel" to Israel as the country exchanges missile attacks and airstrikes with Iran. Canada has advised against visiting Iran for years.
Ottawa and most of its allies have repeatedly called for de-escalation while saying Israel has a right to defend itself.
On June 13, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, which retaliated with missiles. The two countries have a history of trading small-scale attacks and acts of espionage and sabotage.
Israel said it hit Iran last Friday because the country was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has no new evidence to prove this.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said American officials also said Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons in a Monday briefing to the intelligence committee he vice-chairs.
For years, Israel has urged countries to call out Iran for supporting militant groups that attack Israelis, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said during the spring election that Ottawa must be "clear-eyed" about "Iranian sponsors in the region."
This report by 春色直播was first published June 19, 2025.