Middle East - The Latest News on Mobility and Travel Considerations
There are flight disruptions and cancelations in many countries in the Middle East as a result of the current conflict.
Update June 25, 2025: Most countries in the Middle East have reopened their airspace, although minor delays and disruptions should be expected. Additionally, flight suspensions for major Gulf and international carriers remain in place.
Update June 25, 2025: Israel’s airspace has reopened. Ben Gurion International Airport has resumed full operations, while Haifa Airport is operating from 8:00 to 22:00 (local time). Many international carriers have submitted requests to resume service in Israel, but because they already finalized their summer schedules without flights to Tel Aviv, it is unclear when normal flight availability will return. Israeli airline, El Al, announced that it will resume regular bookings once passengers who were stranded abroad have returned to Israel.
Update June 23, 2025: Numerous governments in the region have announced that they are temporarily closing their airspaces. Affected individuals in the region should contact the relevant government websites for up-to-date information on these closures.
Update June 23, 2025: The Israeli government has automatically extended, to July 31, 2025, the expiration dates of re-entry visas with expiries between June 12, 2025 and July 30, 2025.
Update June 18, 2025: The UAE government is waiving overstay fines for Iranian citizens currently in the United Arab Emirates for both residents and visitors, regardless of visa type. The exemption is a response to the inability to return to Iran due to airspace closures and flight suspensions.
Update June 17, 2025: Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Syria have reopened their airspace (although Jordan is expecting intermittent closures due to missile barrages), but Israel’s Ben Gurion airport remains closed, excepting flights with prior permission. Major carriers suspended and rerouted flights over the region. Many Israeli missions globally have closed and immigration departments in Israel may be impacted.
Update June 17, 2025: Israel is automatically extending, to September 30, 2025, the visa expiries of most foreign nationals who held valid visas as of June 12, 2025, with some exceptions.
Update June 1, 2025: A number of countries have announced that they are arranging evacuation flights for their respective citizens in Israel who have registered their presence. Foreign nationals in Israel should ensure that they have registered with their consular post in order to obtain updates on any such flights.
Update June 13, 2025: Many Israeli missions globally have closed and it is expected that Ministry of Interior offices in Israel will be closed throughout the coming week, meaning that immigration services, including work visa processing, will be suspended during this period and processing delays will follow.
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This alert, for informational purposes only, was prepared by Fragomen and originally published here. If you have any questions, please contact us.