CTV National News for Sunday, March 8, 2026: War in Iran worsens as more people flee the region

·23 min·1 clip

Iran names a new supreme leader while oil prices near $100 U.S. a barrel and strikes intensify across the Middle East.

1. CTV National News on Sunday, March 8, 2026 centers on Iran, Middle East strikes, and the cost of war reaching Canada. 2. Heather Butts anchors the newscast, while CTV reporters Adrienne Garbril, Judy Trinh, Maria Saru, Kamala Karamali, Cathy Lee, Alex Karpa, and John Vennevale-Rao file separate national stories. 3. The episode asks what Iran's escalation, Canada’s evacuation limits, and rising fuel prices mean for people trying to leave and for Canadians at home. 4. Iranian state media announces Mushtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader after the late Ayatollah Khamenei’s death. 5. The broadcast says Israel is vowing to kill the new leader, while Iran threatens further escalation across the region. 6. Oil prices are described as having eclipsed almost $100 U.S. per barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years. 7. Adrienne Garbril reports from Kapakoi crossing on the Turkey-Iran border, where thousands have flocked in recent days. 8. A British Columbia father crossing with his wife and children says they were visiting loved ones in central Iran and asks to keep his identity private. 9. He says nine days caught in the conflict left him shaken by loud explosions and fear for his family. 10. Judy Trinh reports that Canadian Amy Nikhil was asked whether she would leave the region without her husband, Ayad, who is Palestinian. 11. The segment says more than 110,000 Canadians are registered with Global Affairs in the Middle East and more than 5,200 have asked for help. 12. Ottawa has organized flights for more than 300 citizens and buses for 180 people, but only a fraction of those stranded have been reached. 13. Maria Saru reports from Prince Edward Island that higher fuel costs are already affecting trucks, meat packing, and heating costs. 14. Atlantic Beef Products says trucking, oil-based packaging, and propane all feed into pricing, while diesel on PEI sits at nearly 230 cents per litre. 15. The PEI Potato Board says the fuel spike is bad timing after last season’s drought, and the Fishermen’s Association says fuel is one of its top three costs. 16. The report warns that prolonged conflict could revive inflation across Canada, with grocery bills and paycheques already under pressure. 17. The tone of the episode is straight-ahead network news, with reporters using on-the-ground voices, brief interviews, and hard numbers. 18. The format moves quickly between war reporting, domestic economic consequences, politics, health, and feature material without long transitions. 19. People tracking Middle East conflict, Canadian foreign policy, and inflation. 20. Viewers wanting a single-topic deep dive on one issue.

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