Canadians desperate to hear from families in Iran as violence escalates and routes out are limited

Kevin Maimann · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 9:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Iranian-Canadians are trying desperately to get successful interaction with friends and household successful Iran arsenic missiles autumn and routes retired of the state are limited. 

Mina Morshed, who lives successful Toronto, says her parents successful Tehran are sick and incapable to leave.

In a little telephone conversation Friday, her mother told her the bombing had started and had to bent up. Morshed wasn't capable to scope her family members connected Wednesday.

"I'm precise upset and disquieted astir them," she told CBC News Network. 

WATCH | Mina Morshed says she's disquieted for her family:

Iran's communications ministry says it has restricted internet entree to support against Israeli cyberattacks amid ongoing unit betwixt the 2 countries, making interaction adjacent much difficult. 

Morshed says she tries not to walk her accent onto her kids, but she says they're besides becoming disquieted and asking what volition hap if their grandma and grandpa die. 

"I explained, 'Don't worry, they're beardown enough. They'll effort to support themselves,' " she said. 

Hundreds killed successful escalating strikes

Israel launched the archetypal strikes of an aerial run against Iran past week, kicking disconnected an speech of rocket occurrence betwixt the 2 countries. 

A Washington-based Iranian quality rights radical said astatine slightest 585 people, including 239 civilians, person been killed successful Iran and much than 1,300 wounded. 

Iran has fired immoderate 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, sidesplitting astatine slightest 24 radical successful Israel and wounding hundreds.

Global Affairs Canada says more than 4,000 Canadians were registered arsenic being successful Iran arsenic of Tuesday evening, with much than 6,600 Canadians successful Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Because registration is voluntary, these numbers are apt an undercount.

Both Iran and Israel have suspended outgoing flights. 

Thousands person fled Tehran by car, spending hours successful gridlocked postulation amid warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump to instantly evacuate the metropolis of 10 million.

Many are stuck there — including those who are elderly and others who can't afford to leave.

WATCH | Iranian-Canadians connected the struggle with Israel:

Besat Zardosht, successful London, Ont., said she's blessed to beryllium harmless successful Canada with her daughter, but worries astir her friends, nieces and nephews successful Iran. 

She says she's been urging her loved ones to relocate to a antithetic city where it whitethorn beryllium safer. 

"My bosom conscionable wants to detonate proceeding from them and being present and not being capable to bash much," Zardosht said. 

Sara Shariati told CBC Vancouver she's been struggling to get successful interaction with her dad, a dual Canadian-Iranian citizen, and worries she mightiness not spot him again.

"It's a precise scary time," she said. "I think a batch of Iranians successful the diaspora, maine included, consciousness helpless."

Iranian Canadians tin transverse into Turkey oregon Armenia

Global Affairs Canada says Canadians successful Iran have 3 borderline crossing options to participate Turkey, and 1 enactment to participate Armenia.

Dr. Panid Borhanjoo, who lives successful Hamilton and was visiting household successful Tehran, managed to find a operator to instrumentality him to the border where helium crossed into Turkey.

There, helium was able to catch a formation from Istanbul to Toronto. But he told CBC Hamilton that helium thought he might be killed successful the process arsenic bombs were falling. And of course, he's inactive disquieted astir the household helium near behind. 

"When my ma hugged me, she said, 'If this is the past clip I'm seeing you, I emotion you.' That's not thing I'll ever beryllium capable to forget," helium said. 

Global Affairs Canada says it has not received immoderate reports of Canadians injured oregon killed successful the region, but said Monday that Canada had moved 4 non-critical unit and 20 dependents retired of Tel Aviv and Ramallah.

WATCH | Challenges facing Canadians successful Iran and Israel:

The department says Canadians in Israel tin cross ground borders, with three exits leading to Jordan and one exit to starring to Egypt.

Global Affairs Canada is encouraging Canadians successful the Middle East to registry done the Registration of Canadians Abroad Service, if they person not already, to person important updates. 

The Canadian Embassy successful Tel Aviv and the Representative Office of Canada successful Ramallah stay operational for Canadians successful Israel oregon the West Bank, but obtaining consular services is much hard successful Iran, wherever Canada has not had an embassy since 2012.

The authorities is advising Canadians to debar each question to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to debar non-essential question to Lebanon and Jordan.