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As Iran conflict spirals, there are 85K Canadians in Middle East, GAC says

Click to play video: 'Canadians impacted by fallout of US-Israel strikes on Iran'
Canadians impacted by fallout of US-Israel strikes on Iran
WATCH ABOVE: Canadians impacted by fallout of U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran – Mar 1, 2026

There are currently more than 85,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered in the Middle East, with almost 3,000 in Iran alone, Global Affairs Canada says.

The number is based on voluntary self-registration by Canadians with Global Affairs Canada as of Sunday, which means the actual number may be higher.

“At this time, we are not aware of any Canadians who have been injured or killed as a result of the hostilities,” GAC said.

The countries with the highest number of registered Canadians are Lebanon, with 23,165 Canadians, and the United Arab Emirates, with 23,064.

In Iran, there are 2,921 Canadians, while there are 6,006 in Israel and 438 registered in the Palestinian territories, GAC said.

As of Sunday, the following countries in the region also had Canadians registered with GAC:

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  • Bahrain: 1,438
  • Egypt: 7,238
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  • Iraq: 943
  • Jordan: 4,469
  • Kuwait: 4,070
  • Oman: 793
  • Qatar: 8,234
  • Saudi Arabia: 10,948
  • Syria: 1,484
  • Yemen: 227

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she has spoken with her counterparts in Kuwait, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Jordan, the United Kingdom and Qatar about the escalating situation.

Canadians are being asked to avoid all travel to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE and to avoid non-essential travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Click to play video: 'Travellers search for alternative routes as US-Iran conflict triggers aviation chaos'
Travellers search for alternative routes as US-Iran conflict triggers aviation chaos

The U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, and Iran’s subsequent retaliation, has triggered global flight disruptions.

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Disruptions are already being felt in Canada as Air Canada cancelled a flight to Dubai on Saturday, hours after strikes in Iran and surrounding countries, like Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement on its website Saturday, Air Canada said that because of the “current military situation in the Middle East,” all flights to and from Dubai (DXB) are suspended until March 3, while flights to Tel Aviv (TLV) are suspended until March 8.

A group of Queen’s University students is stranded at an airport in Doha, Qatar, after escalating hostilities in the Middle East prompted regional airspace closures and widespread flight disruptions.

Claire Haffner, a fourth-year undergraduate biology student, said the group had boarded a flight to Toronto following a field course in Sri Lanka, with a stopover in Doha, when they heard an announcement.

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