Iranian Canadians and others watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, gets into his car after attending a protest following the U.S. attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Vahid Salemi

MONTREAL — Iranian Canadians and Jewish groups turned worried eyes to the Middle East on Sunday, as U.S. strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of escalating violence.

Nima Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women’s association, said family members in Iran are living “from one bomb to another.”

“I’m very worried because this will only accelerate the violence in the region,” she said in a phone interview. “It will further aggravate the problem and take us further away from peace.”

Machouf, who is also an epidemiologist and former NDP candidate, believes the strikes will only hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran’s repressive regime.

Attacks from other countries means that Iran’s people “are not protected by their government, nor protected by others, by the international community,” she said. “So people feel abandoned by everyone, everywhere.”

The United States inserted itself in Israel’s war against Iran early Sunday as it launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

Police in Toronto and Vancouver have published messages on social media platform X, confirming an increase in police presence in both cities while authorities monitor the situation in the Middle East.

The Toronto police post said that more police presence “can be expected wherever necessary,” while Vancouver police said more officers and resources will be deployed to “certain places of worships, cultural and community centres, and diplomatic buildings.”

“Conflicts in the Middle East are thousands of kilometres away, but they reverberate closely in our diverse community and impact many peoples’ sense of safety,” the post from Vancouver police said, adding that more officers have also been deployed to make sure protests “remain lawful.”

“We’re listening to local faith leaders and community representatives from countries impacted by the conflicts. Our priority is your safety.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that U.S. military action was designed to alleviate the “grave threat” Iran’s nuclear program represents to international security. “Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” he wrote.

But Carney said the situation in the Middle East was “highly volatile,” and urged the parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution.

The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described Iran’s nuclear program on Sunday as a “grave danger to global peace and security.”

“Eliminating this threat is an essential step toward achieving a safer Middle East and a more secure and peaceful world,” wrote Noah Shack, who urged the federal government to “stand strong against the Iranian threat.”

Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision will have on civilians.

“I think there’s quite a bit of (concern) simply because there’s a lot of unknowns,” he said.

Shahrooz said Iran’s regime offers virtually no protection to its own citizens in the form of air raid sirens or shelters, and internet has been cut off.

“So there’s a lot of fear about what we will find out once internet connection is restored and we’re able to talk to our families again,” he said.

Shahrooz said feelings among Canada’s Iranian diaspora vary, from anger at the strikes to support for U.S. actions.

“Among the people who are not supportive of Iran’s regime, I think there are some who are cheering and who are saying this was long overdue,” he said. “And they’re happy to see the Iranian regime’s nuclear program effectively dismantled and to see that regime humiliated.”

On the other hand, Machouf called any suggestion that Israel will “liberate” Iran’s people a “masquerade” and said regime change must come from within.

Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson with Jews Say No to Genocide, said a rally called “Hands Off Iran” was organized for Sunday afternoon in Toronto to demand sanctions on Israel and a two-way arms embargo. He described recent Israeli and American actions in Iran as “beyond disturbing.”

Tsabar said the rally scheduled for Sunday afternoon is co-organized by 16 groups, including the Iranian Canadian Congress, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jews Say No to Genocide and a number of labour unions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.