CTV National News for Saturday, March 7, 2026: Canadians leave Middle East as violence increases

·24 min·1 clip

Camille Brown says her house shook from a drone attack and her family could hear it.

1. CTV National News covers Canadians leaving the Middle East as the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States drives travel disruption and fear. 2. Heather Butts anchors the broadcast, Adrian Gobriel reports from Istanbul, Kamal Kramali reports from Toronto Pearson, Jeremy Charan covers energy, and John Musselman covers the Toronto synagogue shootings. 3. The episode asks how Canadians, governments, and markets are reacting as violence spreads across the region and reaches home. 4. Adrian Gobriel describes weary travelers arriving at Istanbul airport and notes that CTV News flew from southern Turkey to meet Canadians on the first Government of Canada chartered flight from the UAE. 5. Gobriel reports that an explosion at Dubai International Airport delayed flights just as the team landed. 6. Edmontonian Fayez Ahmed says he drove from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman, and felt scared when an alert sounded. 7. The report says Iran's U.N. envoy puts the civilian death toll in Iran at more than 1,300 and says more than 200 have died in Beirut. 8. Kamal Kramali shows the moment families at Toronto Pearson airport move from suspense to sprinting hugs as more than 50 Canadians arrive from Dubai. 9. Aklima Amini waits with balloons to see her son and his family, while another traveler says he lived through the week in fear. 10. Camille Brown says her house shook, she could hear the drone attack, and Dubai airport shut down after her flight took off. 11. The foreign affairs minister says over 90 Canadians were flown from Dubai to Istanbul and that 300 seats per day are being held on commercial flights. 12. Kramali says roughly 4,500 Canadians have asked for help leaving the region. 13. The CBSA says it has paused removals to Israel and Lebanon because the conflict creates risk to the civilian population. 14. Montreal rallies draw hundreds who either thank the U.S. and Israel for strikes in Iran or denounce foreign intervention. 15. Jeremy Charan explains that the Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flow. 16. Charan says countries including China, India, Japan, and South Korea are vulnerable, while Canada could provide some relief but lacks pipeline capacity to replace Middle East supply. 17. Tim Hodgson says allies want Canada as a reliable, secure, and sustainable energy source, but a second West Coast pipeline would still take years. 18. John Musselman reports that two synagogues in Thornhill and North York were hit by gunfire, with extra patrols and a command centre set up near the Promenade Mall. 19. The broadcast has a rapid, field-report style with short anchors, live reactions, and multiple package segments from different cities. 20. Viewers interested in Canadian foreign affairs, travel disruptions, and public safety will get the most from this episode. 21. Viewers looking for a single long-form interview or a deep dive into one topic may skip it.

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