Ottawa Issues Warning to Canadians in Iran: ‘Leave Now’

Ottawa is warning Canadians in Iran to leave the country immediately as the ruling regime uses deadly force to supress protests.

Approximately 3,500 Canadians are currently in Iran, based on voluntary registration data from Global Affairs Canada collected last summer.

“Canadians in Iran should leave now if safe to do so,” Ottawa said in a Jan. 13 X post. “Overland crossings are available via Armenia and Türkiye. Canadian passport holders do not require a visa to enter either country.”

Canada’s travel advisory for Iran comes the same day as U.S. President Donald Trump issued a similar warning to Americans, saying “it’s a good idea for Americans to leave Iran.” He also said in a Truth Social post on Jan. 13 that “help is on its way” for protesters in Iran, suggesting U.S. intervention.

The U.S. State Department advised Americans on Jan. 12 to “leave immediately” and avoid travel to Iran for any reason, citing risk of “terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens, and wrongful detention.”

Neither the Canadian nor U.S. governments have diplomatic or consular ties with Iran. Canada provides diplomatic services for Iran via its embassy in Ankara, Türkiye.

“Our ability to provide consular services in Iran is extremely limited,” Ottawa’s travel advisory said.

Protests in Iran began late last December due to a collapsing currency and the rising price of food and essential items. Protests have since become widespread across the country, calling for the ousting of the ruling regime and leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), based in the United States, has estimated at least 646 protesters have died as of Jan. 13. The actual death toll is feared to be much higher, and more than 10,000 protesters are estimated to have been arrested, the group said. The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify these casualty or arrest figures.

An Iranian official told Reuters that at least 2,000 people have been killed during the protests, putting the blame on “terrorists.” The actual death toll is feared to be much higher, and more than 10,000 protesters are also estimated to have been arrested, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify these casualty or arrest figures.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that Iran’s security forces “must stop” killing protesters.

“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” Türk said Jan. 12, adding that previous protests in Iran in 2022 demonstrated a similar cycle of violent repression when protesters called for reform.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that “all options” are possible regarding America’s response to the violence in Iran, but that “diplomacy” is preferable to military intervention.

“Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” Leavitt told reporters Jan. 12 in Washington.

Guy Birchall contributed to this report.