Passengers stranded at airports worldwide amid Middle East air strikes

Passengers were stranded around the world as airlines diverted to avoid the Middle East amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Most countries closed their airspace after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Gulf cities. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE all announced at least partial airspace closures. At least 37 flights between Hong Kong and the Middle East have been grounded as of March 2, 2026.