Dubai, Mar 4: Tens of thousands of people, including tourists, diplomats’ families, and Romanian religious pilgrims, are stranded across the Middle East as the war in Iran escalates.
Airspace over the Gulf has been closed, and major airlines have cancelled flights to and from the region.
Some travellers have been forced to shelter amid ongoing airstrikes, while cruise ships remain stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, unable to navigate the waters safely.
In response, the US State Department has urged all Americans in more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, to “DEPART NOW” using any available commercial transport.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, emphasized the heightened safety risks posed by the ongoing conflict.
Non-emergency personnel and families have been evacuated from six nations, with the United Arab Emirates recently added to the list.
In Israel, Americans have been advised to leave through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, as the US ambassador warned of very limited options and uncertain reopening of Ben Gurion Airport.
Embassy staff are reportedly sheltering in place while handling evacuation requests.
Governments worldwide are scrambling to repatriate citizens.
In Italy, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, initially stranded in Dubai, returned to Rome on a military aircraft, sparking political controversy and calls for his resignation.
The German government is coordinating the return of an estimated 30,000 tourists stranded in hotels, cruise ships, and airports, including chartering planes to evacuate vulnerable individuals such as children, pregnant people, and the sick.
France is also working to return roughly 25,000 French citizens visiting the conflict zone, while Romanian pilgrims, who were in Israel visiting Bethlehem, were forced to cut their trips short and return home.
Travellers have described tense and frightening experiences. Pilgrim Mariana Muicaru recalled calling her children at 3 a.m., fearing for her life as rockets flew overhead.
British families stranded in the UAE reported receiving missile alerts at airports before eventually returning safely to London.
Similarly, a flight from Dubai landed in Belgrade with roughly 200 passengers after a hurried evacuation from a hotel.
The unfolding crisis has disrupted normal travel and created logistical challenges for governments and airlines.
Citizens across the region face uncertainty, limited transportation options, and ongoing safety risks as the Iran war continues to affect civilian life and mobility throughout the Middle East.