Ali Alizadeh Niari speaking to CFJC on Monday June 23. (Image Credit: Anthony Corea / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

Iran internet and phone blackout heightens stress for Iranians living in Kamloops

Jun 23, 2025 | 4:56 PM

KAMLOOPS — The U.S. on the weekend entered the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, bombing three nuclear sites in Iran.

The bombings have ramped up global concerns about wider escalation, as Israel warns Iran it will continue to attack military sites around Tehran this week.

For Iranians living thousands of kilometres away from their home country, watching the conflict escalate has been stressful.

Omid Motififard moved from Iran to Canada eight years ago and now runs Chizmiz Market in Kamloops. He spoke to CFJC Today using his phone to translate.

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“We’re very worried about the people living in Iran,” Motififard said. “And the lack of access to the Internet and phone services during this time is extremely stressful and difficult, both for the people inside Iran and those living outside of it.”

Motififard said it is hard to confirm the safety of loved ones.

“All of my family and my spouse’s family are in Iran,” he said. “I was only able to speak with them very briefly for less than 30 seconds.”

Ali Alizadeh Niari is studying at Thompson Rivers University and said he has not heard from his family in days.

Alizadeh met with CFJC on campus Monday (June 23) wearing a t-shirt with a Persian phrase written on the front of it, which he explained means ‘I miss Iran’.

“I miss my family I miss my friends,” he said. “I don’t know when I’m going to see them. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to see them.”

Alizadeh said he’s been glued to whatever news he can find.

“A lot of people are dying,” he said, noting two of his friends and their families were killed in a missile attack.

Alizadeh said other students from Iran are in the similar position of not knowing if their families are in danger.

He said a group of Iranian students regularly meet and their latest gathering was sombre.

“We all just talked about our concerns about our family members, our friends,” he said. “And you have no idea how heavy that meeting was.”

For now, those living abroad are stuck waiting for updates while hoping whatever happens next does not cost more innocent lives.

“I just hope. I don’t wish. I hope. I hope that this war is going to end soon,” Alizadeh said.

Added Motififard: “The government of Iran needs to change and improve its relations with the countries of the world. Because if you know Iran’s history before the 1979 revolution, we were a very free and prosperous country that was friendly with the entire world. But after that revolution, unfortunately, our country regressed and the situation became very dire.”