The looming threat of all-out war exploding in the Middle East has thrown Dubai into chaos, with flights grounded or delayed as Brits prepare for a mass exodus from the ex-pat paradise.
The news comes as the world holds it breath ahead of an expected retaliation strike by Israel against Iran following Tehran’s unprecedented missile blitz on Tuesday evening.
The Iranians fired a staggering 180 ballistic missiles in response to Israel’s on-going strikes against the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, with dramatic footage showing some raining down on Israeli neighbourhoods and military sites.
Although deemed broadly ineffective, with a majority of the munitions shot down by Israel’s hi-tech Iron Dome air defence system, the onslaught was a major escalation and has pushed the tinderbox region to the brink of war.
An Israeli counter-strike could come as early as this evening, defence sources have warned, and might see missiles pounding Iranian oil fields, military bases and even key nuclear facilities.
And as the crisis deepens, major airliners like Emirates and flydubai have now cancelled flights from Dubai to the UK, Oman and Kuwait, as well as Iraq, Iran and Jordan amid fears passenger jets could get caught in the crossfire.
Disruption is expected today and Saturday with the news coming as a huge blow to tourists flying to Dubai – which is located directly south of Iran – or returning home from lavish trips to the Middle Eastern marvel.
Flight to and from Dubai (pictured) have been cancelled today and tomorrow amid fears Israel could launch a missile attack on Iran
The news has thrown travel plans for thousands of people into chaos, with Brits left stranded in the Middle East as war threatens to boil over. Pictured: the Dubai Palm
It follows a fresh wave of fighting which saw more Israeli airstrikes pounding Beirut in Lebanon overnight – ahead of a feared counter strike by the IDF against Iran
Terrifying footage taken from the cockpit of a plane flying over the Middle East showed the moment a barrage of Iranian missiles soared through the night sky close to a passenger jet
‘Customers transiting through Dubai with final destinations in Iraq, Iran, and Jordan will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,’ Emirates warned in a travel update.
The mayhem comes as former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak predicted the IDF could mount a large-scale airstrike on critical Iranian oil refineries and possibly a symbolic strike on a military target related to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
‘Israel has a compelling need, even an imperative, to respond. I think that no sovereign nation on Earth could fail to respond,’ Barak said in an interview.
The ex-PM, who also served as defence minister, foreign minister and army chief of staff, warned the model for the Israeli response could be seen in Sunday’s reprisal airstrikes against Houthi-controlled oil facilities, power plants and docks in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, a day after Houthi fired missiles aimed at Israel’s international airport outside Tel Aviv.
‘I think we might see something like that. It might be a massive attack, and it could be repeated more than once,’ he told the Guardian.
President Joe Biden said on Thursday there had been discussions in Washington about a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s oil sector, but did not give any clear indication over whether the US would support such a strike.
And as the tensions continue to boil over, panicked travel operators sought to ground flights to the region.
It followed chilling footage earlier this week from the cockpit of a plane soaring above the Middle East as Iranian missiles streaked through the sky below them.
Other passenger airlines have altered their routes, leading to delays.
Typically jets would travel over Germany, Austria and the Balkans to Turkey, flying the length of the country and turning southeast after passing Syria. Depending on the airline and its policies, the usual route is then over Iraq or Iran to the Gulf.
However, since the airspace was closed following the Iranian missile assault, airliners have been taking longer routes, with some flying over the Mediterranean and Egypt before soaring over the Red Sea and then heading east over Saudia Arabia.
Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon early on Friday
A large number of operators have already suspended flights in the region, with Europe’s biggest budget airline Ryanair cancelling flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26, while EasyJet won’t resume flights to the Israel city until March 30, 2025.
Airlines flying from Europe to the Gulf on Tuesday into Wednesday also experienced severe disruption, the Independent reported, with Emirates and Qatar Airways – the two biggest Middle East carriers – diverting dozens of flights, the Independent said.
Closed skies over Iraq and Iran saw some unusual manoeuvres, including an Air France jet from Paris to Mumbai which turned around over northern Iraq and flew back to Charles de Gaulle airport.
Meanwhile, British Airways was also affected – with a London Heathrow to Dubai plane diverting late in its journey to Larnaca in Cyprus to refuel, and a Singapore-Heathrow flight that diverted to Dubai as its normal route was closed.
So far the Foreign Office has not warned Brits to avoid travelling to the UAE. However, it has urged UK nationals to stay vigilant, adding ‘ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region’.
The government has also warned holidaymakers travelling to the region that ‘terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks’ in destinations that welcomes millions of tourists every year.
It means popular areas, such as transport networks, beaches, hotels, restaurants and shopping centres could be at risk of an attack.
Flights from Dubai to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi are still operational despite the disruptions.
It comes after terrifying footage was taken from the cockpit of a plane flying over the Middle East showing the moment a barrage of Iranian missiles were launched into the night sky on Tuesday evening, as Tehran fired projectiles towards Israel.
Beirut was once again burning last night following an Israeli airstrike in the south of the city
Residents check the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the neighbourhood of Mreijeh in Beirut’s southern suburbs on October 4
Smoke rises above buildings in Beirut, Lebanon on September 27 after an airstrike
People and rescuers gather near the rubble of a building destroyed in the Israeli air strike
According to the New York Post, the video – which shows missiles launching from around Shiraz, Iran – was captured by the pilot of a flight bound for Dubai.
While none of the missiles came into contact with the aircraft, it is clear just how close they were from the plane, suggesting that Iran did not ensure that the airways had been cleared before launching its attack on Israel.
As a result, airlines rushed to divert their flights over the Middle East as Iranian missiles soared towards Israel at around 7.30pm local time.
Flight trackers showed a clearing in the airspace between Iran and Israel as planes flew around both countries to avoid the crossfire.