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Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, convened the Incident Response Group (IRG) with ministers and senior officials to discuss the ongoing hostilities in Iran and the Middle East, and continued vigilance to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.
Canada was not consulted, did not participate, and has no plans to participate in the offensive actions against Iran that are being undertaken by the U.S. and Israel. The initial conflict has spread widely as a result of attacks by Iran and its proxies on other countries across the broader Middle East.
The meeting focused on efforts to protect Canadians in the region and work with partners to de-escalate the conflict.
Canada is continuing to facilitate travel for Canadians who wish to depart the Middle East, including the 5,200 Canadians who have requested assistance. The Government of Canada is arranging bookings of seats for Canadians to leave Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, buses leaving Qatar and Israel to bring Canadians to safer destinations, and providing surge support near the Iranian border crossing to assist Canadians with visa requirements and arranging onward travel.
The group discussed additional efforts to ensure that Canadians who wish to leave can do so safely and swiftly. Canada will take all possible measures to protect Canadians abroad, including those serving in diplomatic missions.
The IRG reviewed potential changes to the threat landscape in Canada and underlined the importance of continued vigilance to enhance domestic security.
The Prime Minister provided updates from his recent discussions with leaders in the region and the G7. Canada continues to support efforts to de-escalate the situation, and to call for an immediate end to attacks on civilian infrastructure – in line with international law. The IRG agreed that partners in the region must have their security and sovereignty protected.
