Thousands of travelers stranded in the Middle East amid Iran conflict – what you need to do

In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched targeted airstrikes on Iranian military sites. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf states. Within hours, much of Middle Eastern airspace was shut down, leaving thousands of travelers stranded, rerouted, or in limbo.

If you’re a traveler currently in the region—or have loved ones there—here’s what you need to know to navigate the chaos.

Unprecedented airborne gridlock

Data from Flightradar24 underscores the scale of disruption: over 19,000 flights delayed and 3,400 flights canceled in a single day across the region’s seven busiest airports. At Doha’s Hamad International Airport, departure gates emptied overnight. In Dubai, stranded passengers lined up to book hotel rooms as backup options vanished.

The trigger? A cascading closure of civil airspace. As of March 1, 2026, the following countries have barred civilian flights: Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon. The United Arab Emirates has also temporarily suspended its airspace, with a partial resumption expected Sunday, March 1, at 15:00 local time.

Meanwhile, the following countries remain accessible—but under high alert: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Oman.

How airlines are responding

Major carriers have responded swiftly to the escalating crisis. Emirates has suspended all operations to and from Dubai until at least Tuesday, March 4, offering passengers full refunds or flexible rebooking on all tickets through March 5. Etihad has halted departures from Abu Dhabi, while Air France has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh. British Airways is allowing travelers to alter reservations free of charge through March 6 for routes to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv. Gradual reopenings are forecast between March 1 and 7, pending secured air corridors.

https://twitter.com/Microinteracti1/status/2027738570249699534

Your passenger rights

If your flight was canceled due to airspace closures, here’s what applies to you:

Flights departing EU countries (EU Regulation 261/2004): You’re entitled to a full refund or re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible. If delays exceed five hours, airlines must provide meals, accommodation, and transport. Keep all receipts—confirmations of cancellation, hotel bills, and meal invoices—needed for reimbursement or compensation.

What to do if you’re already on the ground

For travelers currently in affected countries, French authorities advise against all non-essential travel and urge staying updated via diplomatie.gouv.fr and the consular register Ariane (ariane.gouv.fr), which lets French embassies locate and contact you in emergencies. Other governments offer similar systems for their citizens.

🇫🇷 France
Israel (Tel Aviv): 📞 +972 (0)3 766 17 17
Jerusalem / West Bank: 📞 +972 (0)2 629 85 00
Iran: +98 21 64 09 40 00 | contact.teheran-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Abu Dhabi: 📞 +971 28 13 10 01
Dubai: 📞 +971 44 08 49 06
Qatar: 📞 +974 6684 5048 (Qatar Airways crisis hotline: +974 4144 5555)
Bahrain: 📞 +973 17 298 660 / +973 39 79 97 54 | crisis.manama-amba@ambafrance-anmo.fr
Jordan: 📞 +962 6 460 46 31 (landline) | 📞 +962 777 604 901 (mobile)
Universal consular emergency number: +33 1 30 17 67 67 (24/7)

https://twitter.com/francediplo/status/2027778382151487875

🇧🇪 Belgium
Crisis line (24/7, 7 days): 📞 +32 2 501 40 00
Registration: travellersonline.diplomatie.be
(Minister Prévot: “several thousand Belgians in the region.”)

🇨🇦 Canada
Global Affairs Canada – Consular Emergency (24/7): 📞 +1 613 996 8885 (abroad) | 📞 1 800 387 3124 (toll-free in Canada)
⚠️ No Canadian embassy in Iran—services extremely limited
Registration: travel.gc.ca

https://twitter.com/AirCanada/status/2027862469230645579

🇩🇪 Germany
Auswärtiges Amt – Emergency Hotline (24/7): 📞 +49 30 1817 2727
Crisis registration: krisenvorsorgeliste.diplo.de (Reisewarnung active for Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE)

🇨🇭 Switzerland
FDFA Helpline (24/7): 📞 +41 800 24 7 365 (free in CH) / 📞 +41 58 465 33 33 (abroad)
Registration: itineris.eda.admin.ch

🇮🇹 Italy
Farnesina – Crisis Unit (24/7): 📞 +39 06 3691 1 (main switchboard) / 📞 +39 06 3691 2200 (direct)
App: Viaggiare Sicuri (iOS/Android)
Registration: dovesiamonelmondo.it (Task Force ‘Gulf’ activated by Foreign Minister Tajani)

🇪🇸 Spain
MAEC – Consular Emergency (24/7): 📞 +34 91 379 9700
Registration: registroviajeros.exteriores.gob.es
✉️ UAE-specific: emb.abudhabi@maec.es

Visa realities

Pending airspace stability, new visa applications for the impacted countries are suspended—embassies cannot process requests in the current environment. Existing visas remain valid; their expiry dates are not automatically extended due to conflict but can still be used if travel resumes through official channels.

Travelers transiting via third countries such as Turkey or Egypt—now primary diversions—face heightened demand for transit visas. If you don’t already have the required documentation, expect longer-than-usual processing times.

This remains a fast-moving situation. We’re tracking developments in real time and updating this guide as the picture evolves. For visa-specific questions, reach out to our team.