Multiple Countries Have Issued Travel Alerts to the Middle East (Again)

Airlines are cancelling flights after new strikes.Multiple countries have issued warnings against travel to the Middle East, and airspace over the Gulf is heavily restricted. Airlines have extended flight suspensions to destinations throughout the region, and governments in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Canada have warned travelers to exercise caution.This week, the U.S. State Department advised Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution. It told travelers to expect and prepare for airspace closures, flight cancellations, and travel disruptions. “Americans outside the Middle East should reconsider travel to and through the region. Those who do travel to or from the region should monitor information about airport and airline operations.” It also warned that Iran and supportive groups might target Americans worldwide, including businesses and institutions.Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen are currently under a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. Israel, Oman, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE are under a Level 3: Reconsider Travel alert.Canada has also updated its travel advisories this week for Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. The country is asking citizens to avoid all nonessential travel due to military action. The UAE advisory states, “Missiles, drones and other projectiles struck targets in the UAE. Military activity in the region could resume on short notice and cause travel disruptions, including flight cancellations.” Iran, on the other hand, is under a Level 4: Avoid All Travel warning. Continue Reading Article After Our Video Recommended Fodor’s Video On July 21, Australia issued advice for Australians traveling to or currently in the Middle East. The country asked travelers to avoid travel entirely to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen, which are under a Level 4: Do Not Travel warning. Meanwhile, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are under a Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs posted in a bulletin, “Avoid non-essential travel to these locations. If you need to transit, stay as short a time as possible and avoid unnecessary activities. Airspace may close at short notice. Flights can change or stop suddenly. Borders can close.” Neighboring New Zealand also issued a similar warning, asking travelers to avoid nonessential travel to Bahrain, Jordan, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon are all on the Level 4: Do Not Travel list. “Military conflict could further escalate in the coming days. If the security situation deteriorates further, travel disruptions and airspace closures may occur.”Earlier this month, the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran fell through, and the two countries have launched new strikes against each other and allies. For 12 consecutive nights, the U.S. has struck Iran, and Iran has retaliated by attacking allies in the Gulf, including Jordan. Amid these tensions, oil prices have reached $100 a barrel, and 17 U.S. military personnel have died.Worldwide Flight CancellationsEarlier this month, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned airlines to avoid the airspace of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the Gulf of Oman. On July 23, it also added Jordan to the list after Iran struck U.S. allies.Dutch airline KLM announced that it has suspended all flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam until September 6, 2026. The airline is also not flying in the airspace of Iran, Israel, Iraq, and others in the Gulf region. Air France has also extended its suspension of flights to Beirut, Riyadh, and Dubai, “due to the security situation in the region and restrictions that may affect certain airspaces.”Other European airlines are also reducing Middle East operations. Greek airline Aegean will not fly to Dubai until August 31, while Latvian airline airBaltic has suspended Dubai flights until October 24. The Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and more) has gradually increased services to Tel Aviv, but flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Muscat, Tehran, Beirut, and Dammam remain suspended.Additionally, travelers will also not be able to book some destinations such as Dubai on Air Canada, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines.Related: 10 Places It’s Really Hard to Get to Since Middle East Airspace Is Closed