Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Iran's attack on Israel

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OTTAWA — Canada “unequivocally condemns” Iran's attacks on Israel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday night as tensions between the two countries escalated and pushed the Middle East closer to regional war.

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Trudeau's announcement came after Iranian state media reported that Tehran had fired ballistic missiles at targets inside Israel on Saturday, in what was Iran's direct military attack on the country.

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“These attacks once again show the Iranian regime's disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people against these attacks,” Trudeau said during a dinner in the parliamentary press gallery.

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He said he receives regular updates from the national security and intelligence adviser, the chief of defense staff and the head of the Privy Council.

Israel also reported that Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones in its direction.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they shot down some of the missiles on their way.

Israel closed its airspace on Saturday in anticipation of Iranian attacks, and booms and air raid sirens were heard across the country early Sunday.

Israeli army spokesman General Daniel Hagari said Iran had fired numerous drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, the vast majority of which were intercepted outside Israel's borders. He said warplanes intercepted more than 10 cruise missiles outside Israeli airspace alone.

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According to him, several people have already landed in Israel.

The conflict between the two countries escalated after an airstrike that destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria and killed two Iranian generals, which Israel blamed. Tehran vowed revenge.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolie said Friday that Canadians should avoid traveling to Israel because of the risk.

Canadians who remain in Israel should leave in a “commercial way,” he said.

Opposition Leader Pierre Polievre said Saturday that Canada must work with its allies to hold Iran accountable.

“The Canadian government must immediately ban the Tehran-controlled terrorist group, the IRGC, to protect our people and to stop the regime from using our country for fundraising, planning and coordination,” he said in a written statement.

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The federal government has come under pressure in recent months to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran's military, as a terrorist organization.

NDP MP Heather Macpherson, her party's foreign affairs critic, said Canadians are “concerned about the human toll of a regional war.”

“Only diplomacy will solve this. Canada and the international community must de-escalate this crisis now,” he wrote on the X page, formerly Twitter.

International condemnation of Iran's escalation was swift, with the United Nations secretary-general calling for an “immediate end to these conflicts.”

Meanwhile, Air Canada said it has canceled its Saturday flight to Tel Aviv. The airline operates four non-stop flights per week from Toronto to Tel Aviv. The next one is scheduled for Monday.

“We have also implemented a flexible rebooking policy for customers and will continue to monitor the situation in the region and adjust our schedule accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

— With Associated Press files.

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