Canadians stuck in Middle East say cities ‘very tense’ as Iran conflict escalates

Some Canadians vacationing in parts of the Middle East say they're now stuck with airspace closed and no word on when flights might resume.

From people taking vacations to one woman’s journey to teach fitness classes, a number of Canadians have had their travel plans shaken by the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran and its fallout.

There are approximately 85,000 Canadians and permanent residents registered as being in the Middle East, according to Global Affairs Canada. That list includes people who live in the region, but there are also many who are simply visiting.

Among them is Gaye Gibson from Vancouver, who decided to visit Doha, Qatar, for two weeks after stifling heat left her stuck indoors on a previous trip. This time, she said she’s made connections with local residents and found it an “amazing city.”

Gibson told Global News she was watching the news Saturday when the U.S. and Israel began their bombardment of Iran. President Donald Trump has said the objective of the attack is to eliminate Iran’s missile capabilities, destroy its navy and ensure it can never obtain a nuclear weapon.

“It’s strange because I’m kind of going from like, feeling OK, that everything will be OK, but then I watch the news and then I start getting kind of worried about everything and, you know, have to turn off the news,” Gibson said.

Iran retaliated after the initial attack, targeting U.S. and Israeli assets and firing missiles at several Middle Eastern countries including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Gibson said she asked a local friend if it was safe to go out and was told to get some food but then return to her hotel. She did, but got an emergency alert on the metro. A local resident reassured her but told her to shelter in place.

“Just watching the news and what started happening, and then I started hearing explosions in the sky and yeah, it’s pretty scary,” Gibson said.