Arash Ghaderi, a 35-year-old PhD student at the University of Alberta, recalls vividly the moment his wife awakened him to share the harrowing news that war had erupted. The couple had traveled to Iran for a family visit just before the conflict ignited on June 13, when Israel launched attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and military leaders. In Zanjan, a city located 300 kilometers from Tehran, they experienced the frightening sounds of bombings and low-flying jets. Ghaderi described the terror felt by his wife’s family, particularly the distress among her young relatives. He struggled to maintain composure and comfort her while battling his own shock and nausea in the face of such violence.
The conflict quickly escalated, resulting in significant casualties: reports indicated that 606 people in Iran had died, with over 5,000 injured, while Israel faced 28 fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries. In response to the turmoil, the Canadian government urged its citizens in Iran to evacuate as safely as possible, emphasizing the limited capacity for consular support. In an effort to leave the turmoil behind, Ghaderi and his wife decided to traverse a land border into Turkey after all flights were halted. Their journey was arduous, taking seven hours to cross into Turkey, followed by an exhausting 28-hour bus ride through the country before finally arriving in Istanbul.
Although relieved to reach safety, Ghaderi was consumed with concern for his family still in Iran. He expressed mixed emotions about their escape; the danger had passed for him and his wife, but his brother and parents remained in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, the president of the Iranian Students Association at the University of Alberta, Sara Shani, noted that about 15 students from the school were similarly stranded in Iran. With flights severely limited post-ceasefire, many faced financial difficulties as their families grappled with loss of income and challenges in transferring funds internationally.
Shani articulated the additional hardships caused by internet shutdowns in Iran that complicated families’ abilities to support their students abroad. With many businesses shuttered or destroyed due to bombings, the Iranian economy bore the brunt of the conflict’s impact, leaving the students feeling isolated and under-supported. She also shared her experience of distressing uncertainty about her own family’s safety during the war, highlighting the emotional toll felt by many Iranian students in Canada who maintain strong ties to their homeland.
With governmental reports indicating over 8,000 Iranian students received study permits for Canada in 2023, the emotional connections for these students remain vibrant. Shani, who arrived in Canada this year to pursue a master’s degree in computer science, stated that their families still reside in Iran, intensifying their feelings of anxiety and helplessness during the conflict. The distressing circumstances faced by these students encapsulate the far-reaching effects of war on personal and academic lives.
In Toronto, Ali Nejati, president of the Iranian Student Association at Humber College, noted a mix of sentiments within the community regarding the conflict and its implications for the Iranian regime. While many expressed relief at the attacks on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a body seen as a source of oppression in Iran, they also voiced concerns about the potential for escalating violence. Nejati emphasized the desire for justice through legal means rather than war, acknowledging the complex emotions involved in wanting to see the regime weakened while avoiding further bloodshed.
