Middle East Live Updates | More Than 3,400 Flights Cancelled Today In The Middle East

Flightrader24, in an X post, stated that more than 3,400 flights have been cancelled today across seven airports in the Middle East (DXB, DOH, AUH, SHJ, KWI, BAH, DWC), as many airspaces remain closed for security reasons.

The UK Foreign Office on Sunday urged British citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to "shelter in place" amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The Foreign Office "now advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE", it said on X in its latest update.

"If you are a British national in those countries, you should shelter in place and register your presence," the ministry added.

Loud explosions were heard in the east of the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday, as Iran presses on with a second day of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. Quoting residents in eastern Riyadh, AFP said they heard several loud bangs and saw smoke rising.

Meanwhile, Air France cancelled its flights scheduled for Sunday to Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh as a result of Israeli-US strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation, the airline said in a statement.

Those suspensions came on top of the previously announced cancellation of its flights to Tel Aviv in Israel. "Air France will provide further information on its flight schedule to these destinations for the following days at a later date," the French flag carrier said in a statement.

Qatar’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday the country’s air force and air defense units intercepted missiles and drones fired from Iran, and that there were no casualties. The ministry says that Qatar has taken all the measures to protect the country.

Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said shrapnel from a drone that was intercepted by air defense units fell at a tower in Abu Dhabi, lightly wounding a woman and her child. The office said that the sounds heard Sunday in the capital of the United Arab Emirates were those of successful interceptions.

A top Emirati official on Sunday said that Iran's Gulf attacks had isolated the country, warning Tehran not to target its neighbours, as its retaliatory campaign in the region entered its second day.

"The Iranian aggression against the Gulf states was a miscalculation, and it isolated Iran at a critical juncture. Your war is not with your neighbours," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash, who was former state minister for foreign affairs, wrote on X platform on Sunday.

"Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens," he added. The United Arab Emirates has been hit hard by Iranian missiles and drones since Saturday, particularly Dubai, the Emirates’ commercial hub.

At least two people were injured when debris from Iranian drones shot down by air defences landed in the courtyards of two homes in the city, Dubai authorities said. The Dubai Media Office also said the booms heard in the emirate were “the result of successful interception operations” by air defences. After explosions in Dubai, smoke could be seen rising in the area of Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, and the city-state’s Jebel Ali port.

The Congress has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the safety of all Indians, including over 100 citizens of Madhya Pradesh, who are stranded at Dubai and Sharjah airports due to the US-Israel attack on Iran and the retaliatory action.

The Congress requested the Prime Minister to immediately intervene and ensure the safety of stranded Indians, while arranging for their speedy return home. State chief unit of Congress Jitu Patwari, through his X handle, has appealed to Prime Minister Modi to arrange for the return of all passengers to their homeland.

"More than 100 citizens of Madhya Pradesh are stranded at Dubai and Sharjah airports due to the Israel-Iran war. Women, children, and family members have been in inconvenience for several hours, and their anxiety has increased after the cancellation of their flights."Following the attack, all Dubai airports have been closed and all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled indefinitely.

The Qatar airport is closed until at least Monday morning, according to Qatar Airways. In a post on X, the airline said, "Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace."

"Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 02 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). Passengers are advised to monitor the latest flight information via http://qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app," it added. The closures have stranded tens of thousands of travellers around the world.

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi as flight operations were disrupted due to escalating tensions in the Middle East after the US and Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran's retaliation.

With Iran firing missiles at US bases in several countries in the region, the situation has led to widespread airspace restrictions, forcing several airlines to cancel or reschedule flights.

Operations to and from Dubai, one of the world's busiest aviation hubsm were severely affected. Westbound international flights, especially those heading to Europe and the United States, have faced delays, rerouting, or cancellations. This has led to many travellers waiting for hours at the IGI Airport without clear updates from the airlines. Read More..

At least Eighty-four MBA students from a Pune-based institute were stranded in Dubai after airspace closures triggered by the conflict in West Asia, the institute said on Sunday. The students of the Indira School of Business Studies (ISBS) had gone to Dubai as part of an annual five-day study tour. They were safe and shifted to a hotel, ISBS officials said.

While 40 students were scheduled to return to Pune on Saturday, the remaining 44 were to board a flight on Sunday. However, due to the West Asia conflict and the subsequent closure of airspace, they could not travel, the officials said. ISBS Dean Janardhan Pawar said, "All are safe and have been moved to a hotel."

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has been a major focus in the newspapers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday. The US and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran on Saturday, with American President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.

In a fresh development, Tehran launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes on Sunday, targeting US military bases in the region and Israel, local media said, in retaliation for a massive attack that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday directed all foreign nationals in India who had to change their travel plans due to recent developments in the West Asia region to seek assistance for visa extensions or to regularise their stay. The ministry further asked to contact the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which will assist them with the necessary formalities.

Fresh explosions were heard in Dubai, reported AFP on Sunday, as Iran launched retaliatory strikes on the neighbouring Gulf nations in response to a US-Israel joint attack on Iran that led to the death of its Supreme Leader Khamenei.

The explosions came soon after Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed to launch the "most ferocious" operation in history against Israel and US bases. "The most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces will begin any moment now," the Guards posted on Telegram.

Flights scheduled to the Gulf regions remain cancelled from four international airports in Kerala amid escalating tensions in middle-east on Sunday. As many as 37 international flights scheduled to depart from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited (TIAL) to various Gulf countries have been cancelled since Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, 26 flights were cancelled. Additionally, six flights to various Gulf destinations from Kannur International Airport were also cancelled, according to authorities. At Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), 35 flights to the Gulf region were cancelled, as indicated on the official website’s schedule. However, an Oman Air flight from Kochi to Muscat operated at 8.10 am.

Similarly, a Saudia Airlines flight to Jeddah, Oman Air’s flight to Muscat, an IndiGo flight to Dubai, Air Arabia flights to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, an Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi, and a SpiceJet flight to Dubai are listed as scheduled on the website. At Calicut International Airport, around 10 flights to the Gulf region were cancelled, officials said. A Saudia Airlines flight from Riyadh arrived at the airport around 8.15 am. Airlines have opened help desks at all four airports to assist passengers.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate halt to hostilities and urgent de-escalation in the Middle East, urging world leaders to "act responsibly". In a post on X, Guterres said, "Everything must be done to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. I call on all sides to strictly uphold their obligations under international law, including the @UN Charter, protect civilians & ensure nuclear safety. Let’s act responsibly & together to pull the region & our world back from the brink."

A global shipping firm has instructed its vessels inside the Persian Gulf, and bound to the Persian Gulf, to shelter, citing the rapid military escalation between the U.S., Israel and Iran, and restrictions on traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The company, CMA CGM, said on its website that it has suspended the passage of its vessels through the Suez Canal, a crucial waterway connecting the Red and Mediterranean seas. “Vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope,” it said.

Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights today (Sunday, March 1 2026) due to the airspace restrictions in the Middle East following retaliatory attacks by Iran on US bases in several countries in the region.

"Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a post on X early Sunday morning.

On Saturday, the US and Israel jointly launched massive strikes against Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with hundreds of civilians. Read More...

The escalating situation across the Gulf region following the joint Israel-US attacks on Iran has majorly disrupted flight connections in and out of Dubai, a major aviation destination and a commercial hub on Saturday.

Regional airspace closures have caused disruption to several flights in the overall Gulf region too.

“Some flights have been canceled or delayed at @DXB and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) as a result of the partial closure of the airspace of the United Arab Emirates,” a statement by the Dubai airport said. “We kindly ask you to contact your airline and refrain from heading to DXB or DWC at this time,” it added.

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was left stranded at Dubai airport on Saturday en route to the prestigious All England Open badminton tournament, after flight operations were suspended owing to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Sindhu took to Instagram and posted a video showing a crowded airport with a caption: "All flights suspended until further notice.” Later, the Indian superstar shuttler said she was safe but stuck with her team. She added that the speed at which the tensions have escalated is “terrifying”. “It’s hard to process what’s unfolding right now. Hearing the interceptions overhead and seeing how quickly everything has escalated is honestly terrifying,” Sindhu wrote on 'X'.

“So many disturbing videos are coming to light, and this is sadly the reality of what is happening. Dubai is a city I deeply love, a place that has always felt safe and full of life, which makes this moment even harder to comprehend. “To everyone who has been messaging and checking in, thank you, it truly means a lot. I am safe right now, stuck here with my team, and we are doing okay as the situation around the war with Iran continues to evolve,” she added.

Sindhu said that airports are chaotic with many families “stranded and waiting”. “Airports are chaotic, with many families stranded and waiting, all of us just hoping we get past this soon. I’m sure the authorities are doing everything in their power, and like everyone here, we’re holding on to patience and hope,” she wrote. “Moments like these remind you how fragile normal life really is. Praying for safety and peace for everyone affected.”

Saudi Arabia on Sunday said that Iran launched a 'blatant and cowardly' attack on Riyadh and the Eastern Region, which it has successfully repelled.