Dubai Airports Halt Flights as Middle East Tensions Surge After Attacks on Iran

Dubai Airports : The busiest airport in the world, Dubai International Airport, has paused all flight operations indefinitely in response to a series of Iranian missile strikes that occurred throughout Gulf Arab states on Saturday.

Authorities from Dubai Airports announced the abrupt closure of Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International (DWC), citing the necessity to put safety first in light of the growing regional conflict.

Dubai Airports states

“Dubai Airports states that until further notice, all flight operations at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) and Dubai International (DXB) are paused. For the most recent information about their flights, travellers are urged to get in touch with their respective airlines directly rather than going to the airport at this time.We are grateful for our guests’ assistance. We’ll keep an eye on the issue and provide more information,” the statement said.

Joint US and Israeli military assaults on Iranian facilities earlier in the day precipitated the shutdown, which coincides with a dramatic escalation in the Middle East crisis. Iran retaliated by launching a volley of ballistic missiles targeting US military stations and allied locations throughout the Gulf.

Several Gulf capitals, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Manama, were rocked by explosions.

According to the UAE Ministry of Defence, many inbound missiles were intercepted by air defence systems in the United Arab Emirates, but at least one civilian was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris.

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In Dubai, witnesses claimed to have heard strong explosions that shook windows and to have seen missiles flying across the night sky. The strikes targeted American military installations, including the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in the Juffair district of Bahrain, the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base, the largest US military installation in the region, and Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, from which smoke plumes were seen rising.

Several projectiles were successfully repelled, according to Qatar’s defence authorities, with one interceptor clearly neutralising a missile in a puff of smoke. In Kuwait, an Iranian strike inflicted notable damage to a runway at Ali Al Salem Air Base, which accommodates Italian air force personnel involved in regional surveillance missions. Italian officials affirmed that during the event, their service members were safely housed in bunkers.

Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks as “brutal Iranian aggression,” and Riyadh residents described several explosions that broke the capital’s customary quiet.

The UAE Ministry of Defence denounced the attack as a “blatant” and “dangerous escalation,” claiming that its defences successfully neutralised threats and retaining the right to appropriate reaction.

Gulf monarchies, long-standing US allies with significant American military presence, were suddenly drawn into the conflict. The sudden suspension in operations at DXB, which regularly handles hundreds of thousands of passengers daily and serves as a vital worldwide transit point, has caused extensive disruptions.

Major airlines, such as Emirates, have temporarily stopped flights to and from Dubai, encouraging passengers to stay updated through airline channels rather than visiting the airports.

Regional airspace bans in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and others have exacerbated the turmoil, diverting or cancelling flights across Europe, Asia, and Africa.