Airlines suspend thousands of Middle East flights following Iran attacks
Passengers are stranded in the terminal following prolonged flight cancellations after the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority closed the country’s airspace in response to attacks launched by US and Israel against Iran, at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon on February 28, 2026.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Airlines were forced to cancel thousands of flights to Middle East destinations including Tel Aviv, Doha, Dubai after airspace was closed following the attacks.
At least 14,000 departure and arrival flights have been affected, according to estimates from MS NOW.
Etihad Airways suspended all flights departing or flying into Abu Dhabi until Sunday. The company said it would contact affected passengers directly and will support those customers with rebooking and hotels “where necessary.”
“The situation remains fluid and further adjustments may be required. Etihad continues to work in close coordination with the relevant authorities and will resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit,” the company said. “The safety of Etihad’s guests and staff is our highest priority. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate our guests’ understanding.”
Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Air India, Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are among more names that have halted all or most of its service in the region, though for how long varies between the carriers.
Lufthansa Group said it’s suspended flights to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Tehran until March 7, while Delta’s Tel Aviv service will be canceled through at least Sunday.
Some flights to Doha and Dubai were rerouted back to their origin airports, or diverted to airports in Europe due to the security concerns.
—CJ Haddad and Leslie Josephs
Strait of Hormuz key for liquefied natural gas
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the strait of Hormuz, December 10, 2023.
Nicolas Economou | Reuters
The Strait of Hormuz isn’t only critical for oil — it’s also a key waterway for flows of liquefied natural gas.
About 20% of global LNG passes through the narrow waterway, according to the Energy Information Administration. While some of the oil that passes through the Strait can be diverted, it’s more complex for LNG. The waterway is the sole export route for Qatar and the UAE, which together make up about one fifth of global supply. More than half of the LNG passing through the Strait heads to China, India and South Korea, according to the EIA.
—Pippa Stevens
‘This war will have a home front in the United States,’ ex-DHS deputy sec. says
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press briefing on election security and support for the SAVE Act at a Homeland Security Investigations Field Office in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. Feb. 13, 2026.
Rebecca Noble | Reuters
A former top Department of Homeland Security official said the attack on Iran “almost certainly will lead to attempts to target Trump and other top US officials,” and test the resources of DHS, whose funding appropriation remains blocked by congressional Democrats.
“This war will have a home front in the United States,” wrote Tom Warrick, a former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy, in a post on X from the Atlantic Council, where he is a nonresident senior fellow. Warrick was a government official during both Democratic and Republican administrations.
“The Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Capitol Police will all be tested in the coming weeks and can afford zero failures,” Warrick wrote.
“Iran will try every cyber trick it can mount, testing the Department of Homeland Security, the private sector, and US cyber defenses,” he wrote. “Iran tried in the past, unsuccessfully, to meddle in US elections, and would almost certainly fail to have any impact this time.”
The attack comes amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that began after Democrats blocked appropriations for DHS over concerns with its immigration enforcement tactics.
It is not immediately clear how the Iran strikes will influence ongoing negotiations over DHS funding, which lapsed Feb. 14.
But congressional Democrats hammered the White House for neglecting to seek congressional authorization before taking military action. That criticism could complicate the talks about resuming DHS funding.
And it could exacerbate already heightened national security concerns.
Some DHS subagencies like the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency, could be forced to work without pay if the shutdown continues.
“Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of…