Middle East Travel Update: Conflict Escalates Sharply, Flights Diverted Again

Middle East Travel Update: Conflict Escalates Sharply, Flights Diverted Again

Last updated: 20 July 2026

Quick answer: the ceasefire referenced in earlier versions of this update has effectively collapsed. The US has struck Iran for 8 consecutive nights as of 19 July, Iran has hit US and allied bases across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, and 2 US service members were killed in Jordan, the first American military deaths from Iranian fire since March. Airlines are re-suspending Gulf routes and rerouting around the region again, and prices are rising as a result. Government advisories for the UAE have not been re-escalated to their earlier peak, but the underlying situation is now more volatile than at any point since the June ceasefire.

This page is updated as events develop. Skip to the section you need.

What's Changed in the Last Few Days

The memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, signed in June, is now effectively suspended. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said the US has "violated and suspended all its commitments" under the agreement, after US strikes widened beyond military targets to include civilian infrastructure. A desalination plant in southern Iran was destroyed, cutting water to an estimated 20 villages, and Iran's Health Ministry says at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes over the past 3 weeks. The US launched its 8th consecutive night of strikes on Iran on 19 July, hitting areas near Sirik and Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province, as

reported by Al Jazeera

The immediate trigger for the latest wave was an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on a US base in Jordan on 18 July, which killed 2 US service members and left a third missing, CENTCOM's first confirmed American combat deaths from Iranian fire since March. The US responded with strikes it said were intended to "swiftly punish" the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and further degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has retaliated by striking US and allied bases across the Gulf. On 19 July, Kuwait and Bahrain both reported multiple waves of Iranian strikes, including a fire at a Kuwaiti power and water plant. Iran's army said one attack targeted a US ammunition depot at Camp al-Adiri and air defence radars at Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, which hosts US personnel. Qatar's Ministry of Defence said it intercepted incoming Iranian fire, though 3 people, including a child, were wounded by falling shrapnel, as

reported by Al Jazeera

Is It Safe to Travel to Dubai and the UAE Now?

Official advice has not been re-escalated to a do not travel level for the UAE specifically, but every government below is now flagging a more volatile situation than a few weeks ago, and the FCDO updated its guidance again on 13 July to warn that attacks could resume with little warning. Treat any snapshot, including this one, as provisional.

• UK (FCDO): lifted its warning against all but essential travel to the UAE on 18 June 2026, then updated the guidance again on 13 July to state that attacks could resume with little warning despite the now-strained memorandum of understanding.
• United States: has held the UAE at Level 3, reconsider travel, since 2 March 2026, due to the threat of armed conflict and terrorism. It has not moved this rating in either direction through the latest escalation.
• Australia (Smartraveller): remains at reconsider your need to travel (advice level Orange), and continues to flag that strikes have hit targets in the wider Gulf region in recent days.
• Canada: advises a high degree of caution, citing a volatile security situation across the Gulf.

None of the 4 governments has reinstated a do not travel warning for the UAE specifically since this update was last published, and the strikes reported in the past few days have hit Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar rather than the UAE directly. That said, several airlines serving Dubai have paused or extended their own suspensions regardless of what the advisories say, which tells you how the airlines themselves are reading the risk. Check your own government's advisory close to your travel date, not just this article.

Travel Insurance

Standard travel insurance is generally keyed to your government's official advice rather than to news events, so a UAE trip should still be covered under most standard policies while the UK and Australian advisories remain at their current, eased levels. Most policies carry a war and civil unrest exclusion for anything beyond a cancelled or delayed flight, and with strikes now hitting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan directly, it is worth re-reading that exclusion wording specifically if your trip touches any of those countries rather than just the UAE.

Airline Operations: Disruption Is Back

The "back near normal" picture from earlier in July has not held. Air Astana suspended all flights to the UAE from 13 July. Singapore Airlines has extended its Dubai suspension until 2 August. British Airways has pushed its planned return to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman back to 25 October 2026, an extension from its earlier October date. Air France has resumed Dubai, Tel Aviv and Riyadh services but kept its Beirut route suspended. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, the 3 major Gulf hub carriers, are still operating the bulk of their networks, but airlines are reassessing route by route as the situation develops, so treat any single figure for how many flights are running as a snapshot rather than a guarantee.

• Emirates: check current flight schedules
• Qatar Airways: operational updates
• Etihad: live flight status

Flight Diversions, Rerouting and Higher Prices

This is the part most likely to affect you even if your trip has nothing to do with the Gulf. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a fresh safety directive on 8 July telling airlines to avoid the northern corridor over Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Kuwait. Airlines are now routing intercontinental flights over Saudi Arabia and Egypt instead, a detour that adds roughly 30 to 60 minutes to flights connecting Europe, Asia, Africa and North America through the region.

That detour, combined with a jet fuel price spike, is showing up directly in fares and capacity. The International Air Transport Association expects jet fuel to average around $152 a barrel in 2026, up from around $90 a barrel in 2025, a roughly 70 percent rise, and forecasts industry profitability will nearly halve this year as a result. Some airlines are trimming long haul capacity by up to 12 percent through the end of July to manage the cost. In the US specifically, airfares are already running around 21 percent higher than the same period last year. If you are booking a long haul route that would normally transit the Gulf, expect a higher price and a longer flight time than you would have seen in May, and build in extra connection time if you are transiting through an affected hub.

The Conflict Has Escalated, Not Ended

This is no longer a story about a ceasefire holding with occasional flare ups. The US has now struck Iran on 8 consecutive nights, the US has reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, Iran has hit military bases in at least 4 Gulf countries in the past few days, and 2 American service members have been killed, the first such deaths since March. Neither side has signalled it intends to de-escalate. If you have a trip booked anywhere in the wider region, not just the UAE, in the coming weeks, check your airline's status and your government's advisory again close to departure, since the picture here is changing by the day, not the month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to fly through Dubai right now?

Dubai's airports remain open and government advisories have not moved to do not travel for the UAE specifically. However, several airlines serving Dubai, including Air Astana, Singapore Airlines and British Airways, have paused or extended their own suspensions in the past week regardless of the official advisory level, so check your specific airline's status before assuming your flight is unaffected.

Is Dubai Airport open?

Yes. Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) are both operating. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad continue to run the bulk of their schedules, though several other carriers have re-suspended or extended pauses on their own Dubai routes this month, so scheduled capacity is not fully back to the levels seen in early July.

Which airlines have paused flights to the Gulf recently?

Air Astana suspended all flights to the UAE from 13 July. Singapore Airlines has extended its Dubai suspension until 2 August. British Airways has pushed its return to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman back to 25 October, and Air France has kept its Beirut route suspended while resuming Dubai, Tel Aviv and Riyadh. Check directly with your airline, since these dates are being revised as the situation develops.

Why are flight times and prices going up on routes that don't touch the Gulf?

EASA's 8 July safety directive has airlines avoiding airspace over Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Kuwait, so many Europe-Asia routes are now flying a longer southern detour over Saudi Arabia and Egypt, adding roughly 30 to 60 minutes to the flight. Jet fuel prices are also up around 70 percent year on year, and some airlines are cutting long haul capacity by up to 12 percent, both of which are pushing fares higher across the board, not just on flights that physically pass through the region.

Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled due to the conflict?

Under UK and EU 261 regulations, if your flight departs from a UK or EU airport, the airline must offer a full refund or re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. Because this is classed as an extraordinary circumstance, you are generally not entitled to additional cash compensation for the delay itself.

Will my travel insurance cover cancellations caused by the conflict?

Standard policies should still cover a UAE trip while the UK and Australian advisories remain at their current, eased levels, but most carry a war and civil unrest exclusion for anything more serious than flight disruption. If your itinerary touches Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar, all of which have been struck directly in the past few days, check that exclusion wording carefully before you rely on it.

Has the situation actually got worse in the last few days?

Yes. The US has carried out 8 consecutive nights of strikes on Iran as of 19 July, Iran has struck US and allied bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, and 2 US service members were killed in Jordan on 18 July, the first American combat deaths from Iranian fire since March. Iran's government has said the US has effectively suspended the memorandum of understanding that underpinned June's ceasefire. Airlines are reacting faster than government advisories, with several re-suspending or extending pauses on Gulf routes this week.

Are ticket prices rising because of the conflict?

Yes. Jet fuel is forecast to average around $152 a barrel in 2026, up roughly 70 percent from 2025, and airlines are cutting long haul capacity by up to 12 percent in response, on top of the added flight time from rerouting around restricted airspace. US airfares are already running about 21 percent higher year on year, and the

International Air Transport Association expects the disruption to nearly halve global airline industry profitability this year.

Official Government Travel Advice

• UK: FCDO travel advice for the United Arab Emirates
• US: State Department travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates
• Australia: Smartraveller advice for the United Arab Emirates
• Canada: official travel advice for the United Arab Emirates

Have an update or questions? Comment below.

If you're considering Dubai as a longer-term base, the UAE also just launched a new 5-year multi-entry visa with no local sponsor required, worth reading alongside the current travel advice above.