Rising tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran continue to cause confusion for Canadians globally, affecting fuel supplies, oil production and travelers trying to get home from the Middle East.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump threatened further military action against Iran in a message posted on Truth Social, saying the country could face additional strikes soon.
“Iran will be hit hard today!” Some previously unconsidered targets may now face “total destruction and certain death,” Trump wrote.
Trump claimed that Iran had “apologized and capitulated to its Middle Eastern neighbours”, warning that further escalation was likely after what he described as “sustained US and Israeli attacks”.
In an effort to ease tensions, Iran’s president apologized to neighboring Gulf states on Saturday for attacks on regional nations, as Iranian missiles and drones continued to fly toward Gulf Arab states.
At the same time, he rejected US President Donald Trump’s repeated demands for Iran to surrender.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi took back the president’s apology, sharply criticizing the Trump administration and warning that the US will be responsible for the next conflict.
“If Mr. Trump wants to escalate, our powerful armed forces have been prepared for a long time and they will get what they want,” Araghchi said in a statement.
“Mr. Trump’s one-week misadventure has already cost the US military $100 billion, in addition to the lives of young soldiers,” the statement further read.
“When the markets reopen, that cost will balloon and be passed directly to ordinary Americans at the pumping stations.”
Trump attended a homecoming ceremony Saturday afternoon for six U.S. service members who died in combat.
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A rapidly deteriorating situation is affecting Canadians abroad.
Air Canada announced that it has extended the suspension of flights to several Middle East destinations due to the military situation in the region.
Flights to Dubai have been canceled until March 28, while flights to Tel Aviv have been suspended until May 2.
The airline said passengers currently in affected areas should not travel to the airport and encouraged passengers to monitor government advice as the situation evolves.
Some Canadians are already returning home through alternative arrangements made with the help of the federal government.
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, families reunited with loved ones who had arrived on a chartered military flight from Dubai.
“I have to say there were definitely some scary moments,” passenger Sharon De Sousa said after landing in Toronto.
“It’s not normal to have military planes like that, boom going off, warnings going out in the middle of the night. It’s really scary, but I have to say the Dubai government has made sure everyone is safe,” he told Global News.
“I’m so grateful to be on the plane today.”
For many families waiting at the airport, the emotional toll of the crisis is palpable.
“It was nothing less than anxiety and a panic attack,” said Adi Sribats, who spent the night tracking his father’s plane. “I was tracking his flight until 3 or 4 in the morning.”
Doug Ryan, who was carrying his daughter from Dubai, said his family was relieved to have her home safely.
“Her husband has given us a lot of information. She seems to have a good air defense program, but we have her house.”
Thousands of Canadians in the Middle East are seeking help to return home as the conflict escalates, government data shows.
According to Global Affairs Canada, about 109,300 Canadians are registered in the region through the Canadians Abroad Registration System, with approximately 7.4 per cent seeking assistance to leave.
Statistics compiled by Global News show that the number of requests varies significantly by country.
The United Arab Emirates is the largest number of Canadians seeking assistance, with 14.7 per cent of the more than 30,000 registered Canadians requesting to leave.
It was followed by Iraq, where about 13.2 per cent of registered Canadians had asked for help, and Iran, where roughly 12.4 per cent had asked for help.
Meanwhile, as Israeli strikes intensify in southern Lebanon and residents in some areas have been told to evacuate, the number of Canadians seeking help to leave has remained relatively low. Only about 3.1 per cent of registered Canadians in Lebanon have sought assistance.
As the conflict deepens, the conflict continues to ripple through global energy markets.
One of Kuwait’s largest oil producing companies announced on Saturday that it had cut crude oil production and refining as a precaution following the attacks in the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Other Gulf countries have limited or suspended oil production as political tensions have risen since the US-Israeli war over Iran.
According to Reuters, Qatar has announced that oil fields in Iraq have reduced production Force major In large gas exports and the United Arab Emirates is poised to scale back production.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, a major player in the global oil market, also announced a temporary halt in oil production.
Analysts warned that cascading outages could have ripple effects on global energy markets and fuel prices in Canada as tensions continue to rise.
With files from Reuters and the Associated Press
(tags to translate)US Iran
