Canada condemns Iran's attacks on Israel: Trudeau

TORONTO – 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.

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.

“These attacks show once again 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.

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

The press secretary of the Israeli army, General Adm. 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.

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

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

Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated after an airstrike blamed on Israel destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria and killed two Iranian generals. 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.

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 member of parliament 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 Twitter page.

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

Israel's ambassador to Canada thanked Trudeau and Jolie for their words of support.

“Israel will continue to defend itself against hostile attacks by Iran and all its proxies in the region. Iran is trying to destabilize the region and we thank our allies for their support in the face of these developments,” Iddo Moed said in a statement.

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