As of late June 2025, the most useful things Iranians in Canada can do are practical ones. Stay in regular contact with family in Iran. Keep consular and land route information ready before anyone needs it. Pass on accurate information instead of rumours. Do not sit alone with the anxiety. And ask relatives whether they can still reach their money.
I am Moe Asgarian, a real estate broker in Toronto. I am not a political analyst, I have no expertise in war or political analysis, and I am not a psychologist. What follows is simply what I think can help in these conditions, written in the middle to the end of June 2025. My sympathy goes to every family that has lost someone or been harmed in any way, and I hope this situation ends as soon as possible.
Stay in Contact With Family in Iran
If your family is in Iran, try to be in touch regularly. As of the middle of June 2025, when I was writing this, internet connections were unreliable, and by the time you read this the ability to connect may have gone entirely. Even so, a video call, a message, or even a short voice note genuinely matters. When the people we love can see that we are asking after them and following their news, it steadies them. That is worth doing on the days when there is nothing new to say, too.
Know the Consular and Travel Options Before You Need Them
It helps to have the information ready in advance, for anyone whose family member decides to leave Iran for any reason: contact details for consulates, and the overland routes to neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Armenia and the Emirates. As of mid June 2025 the Government of Canada had also said that if you are a Canadian citizen and cannot get out of Iran, you can use the assistance of Canadian embassies once you reach a safer country. That is something a lot of people may not know. At the time there were forms where you could register the names of family members and make use of that help.
Be Gentler With Each Other, and Do Not Sit Alone With the Anxiety
The third thing, and all of us have seen it in these weeks, is the state people are in. Many of us are carrying fear and anxiety, and so are the people around us. A reassuring message, a simple phone call to someone who may be on their own, a small act of company at work or at school, changes how a person feels. My advice to friends is not to be left alone with the stress. Find an Iranian, Persian speaking friend in your own city and talk to them about what is worrying you. Outside Iran the worry has a different shape. Inside the country, as hard as it is and with people under missile fire, nobody has to explain to anyone else how hard it is. Out here we put on a mask, go to work every day and do the job properly, and in that situation it is very difficult to explain what we actually feel to people who do not share it. So let us look after each other more than usual.
One thing worth repeating, because it helps: the reports coming out of cities in Iran in those days showed people looking after each other and standing together, helping each other in a hundred small ways. That is a real comfort, and talking about it more lets us get through these days with a little more calm.
Share Accurate Information, Not Rumours
We should take our own role seriously here. This is not the moment for spreading rumours, and not the moment for shallow or frightening analysis. It is the moment to pass on information that is accurate and useful: what access and help people actually have, and what is really happening in Iran and in the world. The truth is that the people of Iran have always wanted peace and quiet, have always shown their friendship to the rest of the world, and none of them chose this. If we keep that in mind, we understand each other better. I try to put myself in the position of every comment and every argument I hear, and to understand why that person thinks the way they do. That habit always helps.
Check Whether Relatives Can Still Reach Their Money
As of late June 2025 it was still possible to send financial help from Canada to family and friends. The situation many people were in was this: because they had left their homes, or had no internet access, they could not reach their own accounts and savings. There are ways to move money as cash, or to arrange financial access some other way. The practical step is simply to ask. Call family and friends, find out whether access is a problem, and if it is, help solve it rather than waiting to be asked.
If You Have to Buy or Sell a Home Right Now
Something I noticed in those weeks: some of our Iranian clients had already sold their homes and now had to go looking and buy in the middle of all this, and others had to sell, because of their finances or whatever else they were carrying. Those people are taking on a second weight on top of an already heavy few weeks. If that is you, you should not have to manage the transaction and the worry at the same time. Tell the people helping you what is going on, and let them absorb more of it. More than before, we need to be understanding with each other and look after one another.
If you are in the middle of a move, a purchase or a sale and you want a hand with it, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or book a free consultation. I hope that by the time you are reading this, the advice here has lost every bit of its relevance, the attacks are over, and the people of Iran are living side by side in peace. Stay well and take care.
Frequently asked questions
What help was available in June 2025 for Canadian citizens who could not leave Iran?
As of mid June 2025 the Government of Canada had said that Canadian citizens who could not get out of Iran could use the assistance of Canadian embassies once they reached a safer country. There were also forms at that time where you could register the names of family members in order to access that help. Many people did not know either of those things.
How can people in Canada help family in Iran with money during a crisis?
As of late June 2025 it was still possible to send financial help from Canada to family and friends. The common problem was access rather than the money itself, because relatives who had left their homes or had no internet could not reach their own accounts and savings. There are ways to move funds as cash or to arrange access another way, so the first step is to ask family directly whether access is a problem.
What should you do if you have to buy or sell a home while worried about family abroad?
Expect it to feel heavier than a normal transaction and do not try to carry both loads alone. In June 2025 several Iranian clients were in that position, having already sold and needing to buy, or needing to sell because of their finances. Tell the people handling the deal what you are dealing with, so they can take on more of the pressure instead of adding to it.