Airspace across the Middle East has been closed to civilian traffic following the outbreak of the Iran war, creating the largest aviation disruption zone since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Eight countries have fully closed their airspace: the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Iran, and Iraq. Saudi Arabia has restricted its airspace to humanitarian and evacuation flights only. Oman maintains limited operations from Muscat International Airport. The closures affect one of the world's busiest aviation corridors and dozens of major international airports.
The impact extends far beyond regional flights. The Middle East airspace corridor is a critical link between Europe and Asia, Africa and South Asia, with millions of passengers transiting daily through hubs in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. Airlines are rerouting overfly traffic through Central Asian airspace, over the Caspian Sea, or via extended African routing, adding 2-6 hours to many intercontinental flights. Jet fuel costs for rerouted flights are significantly higher, and airlines are warning of surcharges.
Air traffic control coordination is being managed by Eurocontrol and ICAO, which have issued NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) warning all aircraft to avoid the conflict zone. Military aircraft from the US-Israeli coalition and Iranian air defenses are operating across the region, making any civilian flight through the area extremely dangerous. The airspace closures are expected to remain in effect for the duration of active military operations, with no timeline for reopening.
The pilot and co-pilot were killed, and in total, 41 passengers were taken to hospital, along with two firefighters.
Air Force says plane was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members, and authorities are investigating cause of crash.
Worldwide LNG exports have plunged in the past week to a six-month low as Middle Eastern supply collapsed with the de facto closed Strait of Hormuz and the outage at the world’s biggest LNG complex in Qatar. Global LNG shipments have plunged to about 1.
Democrats and other observers slam deployment of US immigration agents to airports as dangerous and source of tension.
Vessels posing as tankers that were sent for scrap years ago have appeared to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, in another example of how the Middle East war and the heavy signal interference in the region are affecting global shipping and energy flows. The vessel Nabiin, which was
Shutdown standoff forces US President Trump's hand as airport queues spiral and security staff go unpaid.
Iran says it launched multiple ballistic missile and drone strikes, targeting bases across Israel, UAE, and Kuwait.
War, which saw Iran attack Qatar facility, has caused 'high, volatile' gas prices that could hit EU storage projections.
The US president called on immigration agents to place 'heavy emphasis' on the arrest of Somali immigrants.
Bahrain's account differs from how the US military described the March 9 incident, which led to civilian injuries.
The dominant narrative over the last two years in global gas markets has been one of impending abundance; everyone was warning of an upcoming LNG tsunami. Market analysts kept pointing to a wave of new LNG supply, mainly driven by expansions in Qatar, the United States, Canada, and parts of Africa.
Last year, President Trump killed a major assessment on nature, but now, the scientists involved with the research have published a draft of the report independently. In January 2025, just weeks before a first-of-its-kind nature assessment – the National Nature Assessment – was due to be published,
Oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked since early in the war on Iran.
QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi says he warned US of 'consequences' of attacking Iranian energy infrastructure.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says request made on February 26, two days before US and Israel launched war on Iran.
Refiners in Asia are paying huge premiums for crude that could replace some of the supply stuck in the Middle East, with the most suitable grades from Norway and the U. S.
Move comes as Swiss government also closed its airspace to US military flights directly linked to the Iran war.
When Israeli jets struck the South Pars gas complex near Asaluyeh, they hit more than pipes and compressors. They struck the single piece of infrastructure most essential to Iran's ability to function -- a field that provides 75 percent of Iran's domestic gas supply and powers roughly 80
Experts say while Gulf states need support in face of Iranian attacks, it is less clear what their allies can provide.
Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by Iranian drones early on Friday in attacks that caused a fire in several units at the facility, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of de-escalation despite the most recent U. S.
Qatar’s state firm QatarEnergy expects the damage to the Ras Laffan LNG complex, the world’s single largest LNG-producing facility, to cost it about $20 billion per year in lost revenue and to take up to five years to repair. The Iranian missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC)
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