(MENAFN) In light of intensifying hostilities between Israel and Iran, Canada issued a warning on Tuesday advising its nationals to steer clear of several locations in the Middle East.

The alert comes as over 82,000 Canadians are reported to be registered in the broader region, prompting heightened concern from Canadian authorities.

As detailed in a Global Affairs Canada release, "According to the Registration of Canadians Abroad service, there are over 82,000 registrants in the Middle East, including over 4,000 in Iran and over 6,600 in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."

This registry allows Canadians to report their presence abroad, aiding officials during crises.

Nevertheless, the government clarified that "the number of Canadians registered in a destination does not represent the actual number of Canadians currently there," emphasizing that the system is optional and may reflect outdated or inaccurate entries.

At present, Canadian authorities stated that “Global Affairs Canada has received no reports of Canadians injured or deceased related to recent escalations in the region.”

This underscores that while tensions are mounting, no Canadian casualties have been confirmed so far.

Despite this, "the government of Canada continues to closely monitor the rapidly evolving tensions between Israel and Iran," indicating an ongoing vigilance as the geopolitical situation remains fluid.

As a precautionary step, Canada temporarily removed four non-essential diplomatic staff members and 20 family members from its embassies in Tel Aviv and Ramallah.

These individuals were relocated to a secure third-country location on June 16.

Canada strongly advised all its nationals to avoid travel to Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Additionally, it called on all involved parties to "refrain from actions that further destabilize the region," urging restraint and diplomatic efforts to reduce the risk of further conflict.

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