CTV National News for Saturday, March 21, 2026: Trump promises to ‘obliterate’ parts of Iran

·23 min·1 clip

Iran struck Dimona, Israel’s nuclear center, and more than 30 people were injured.

1. CTV National News for Saturday, March 21, 2026 opens with Donald Trump’s warning about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. 2. Heather Butts anchors the newscast and introduces the Iran war, the food-labeling story, and Canadian para-sport coverage. 3. The episode asks how the Iran conflict, grocery labeling, and Canadian sports development are changing everyday life. 4. Trump posts that if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States will “hit and obliterate” power plants. 5. Iran says it will hit U.S. energy targets in the region if its fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked. 6. G7 foreign ministers, including Canada’s, say they stand ready to take measures to open the Strait of Hormuz. 7. The joint statement calls shipping routes critical and describes Iran’s attacks as “injustifiable.” 8. Iran strikes Dimona, which the report identifies as home to Israel’s nuclear weapons program. 9. More than 30 people are injured in Dimona, and Iran says the strike is retaliation for Natanz. 10. The U.N. nuclear agency urges military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident. 11. Officials say there is no sign of a radioactive leak after the attack on the nuclear-linked site. 12. The report says gasoline prices in the Toronto area reached $1.72 a litre, with diesel forecast to rise by as much as 20 cents. 13. CTV then turns to maple washing, where grocery products are marked with maple leaves but are not made in Canada. 14. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency fines five stores a total of $47,000, including two Toronto stores owned by Loblaw. 15. The CFIA says it saw more than 100 cases of mislabelled food between April of last year and mid-March of this year. 16. A Toronto family says they want transparency so they can support local farmers when they shop. 17. The report says Saskatchewan has the highest child poverty rate in Canada, with more than 78,000 kids living in poverty in 2023. 18. The Saskatoon Food Bank says 40% of its clients are children, while cooking classes and emergency hampers are used to meet demand. 19. The tone stays urgent and factual, with fast-paced field reports, direct quotes, and repeated references to prices, fines, and injuries. 20. People following Middle East security, food prices, and Canadian public policy would likely stay with this episode, while viewers wanting lighter local stories might skip it.

As heard by us

A brisk national newscast that moves from Middle East tensions to drug safety, flooding, and sport.

CTV National News opens on a sharp Middle East escalation. Donald Trump says the U.S. will hit and obliterate Iranian power plants unless Iran fully opens the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, while Iran says it will strike U.S.

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Catch the Iran war escalation, the Strait of Hormuz threat, and the gas-price ripple at home in one pass.

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