A rapidly intensifying conflict in the Middle East has begun to significantly disrupt international travel and raise safety concerns for tourists and residents across the region. The crisis escalated on February 28 after a coordinated military strike by the United States and Israel, reportedly named “Operation Epic Fury,” targeted Iran and resulted in the death of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since the initial offensive, the confrontation has widened dramatically, drawing in multiple countries and triggering retaliatory attacks that have affected both military installations and civilian infrastructure.
In the days following the strike, the conflict expanded beyond Iran and Israel, with incidents reported across a broad swathe of the Middle East. Among the developments were drone attacks targeting the Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, an EU member state. Countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have also experienced security threats as the situation spiralled into a multi-country crisis.
Major urban and economic centres have not been spared. Several attacks have struck airports and populated areas, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Key tourist and financial hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have reported incidents linked to the conflict. Dubai International Airport, widely regarded as the world’s busiest airport for international travel, was temporarily shut after debris from intercepted drones damaged parts of the facility. The disruption forced authorities to suspend operations for three consecutive days, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and causing significant travel chaos.
The conflict has also impacted high-end hospitality infrastructure. A projectile reportedly struck the luxury Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai, sparking a fire that quickly circulated on social media after videos of the incident surfaced online. Though emergency services responded swiftly, the attack heightened concerns about the safety of locations previously viewed as secure travel destinations.
Security analysts say the retaliation against Gulf countries has taken many observers by surprise. Dr John Rose, chief risk advisor at the corporate travel management firm ALTOUR, noted that while retaliatory strikes against Israel had been widely anticipated, the targeting of places such as the UAE had not been expected by many experts. For years, cities like Dubai have cultivated a reputation as stable and safe travel destinations, drawing millions of visitors annually. In 2025 alone, Dubai attracted nearly 20 million international travellers, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s leading tourism hubs.
Rose emphasised that aviation authorities in the region place a high priority on passenger safety and would not reopen airports if credible threats remained. However, the rapidly evolving nature of the crisis has left the travel industry grappling with uncertainty as airlines, governments and security agencies monitor developments closely.
Meanwhile, global governments have begun issuing travel advisories as the situation continues to evolve. US President Donald Trump has indicated that military operations may continue for several weeks, raising concerns that the conflict could persist or expand further. In response to the growing instability, the US State Department released an urgent advisory on the social media platform X urging American citizens to “depart now” from 14 Middle Eastern countries. The advisory included nations such as Egypt, even though they have not been directly affected by the strikes so far.
Experts caution that conditions on the ground differ widely from country to country and can change rapidly, sometimes within hours. Travellers currently in the region or planning to visit are being urged to closely monitor official advisories and carefully evaluate the necessity of their travel plans. As the geopolitical crisis continues to unfold, the Middle East’s once-bustling travel routes now face growing uncertainty, with both tourists and the aviation sector watching developments anxiously.
