Recent developments in the geopolitical landscape between Israel and Iran have escalated tensions across the Middle East, resulting in a volatile and unpredictable environment that directly affects air and ocean freight operations in the region

Air

Airspace Closures:

• Israel has closed its airspace with no current flight operations. Starting June 18, Israeli carriers have received government permission for inbound passenger flights returning Israeli citizens to the country.
• Iraq and Iran have halted all commercial flights to/from all airports in their respective countries.

Carrier Cancellations:

• Emirates has canceled flights to Jordan and Lebanon until June 25 and to Iran and Iraq until June 30.
• Qatar has temporarily canceled flights to Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
• Lufthansa and Air France have temporarily suspended flights to Beirut.
• El Al has canceled all scheduled flights through June 23.

With the airspace closures and rerouting, passenger (PAX) belly capacity is tightening, prioritizing high-value and time-sensitive cargo over general freight.

To avoid conflict zones, freighters are being rerouted to safer air lanes, limiting available capacity to major airports such as Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv.

 Ocean

Freight Implications:

• HMM and ONE have halted services to Iraq.
• Carriers have reduced or suspended cargo acceptance for Israel on both Inbound and Outbound cargo.
• Major shipping lines are reviewing route safety and port security measures in the region, particularly near the Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf routes.
• At the time of publication, ports remain operational. If the situation changes, potential port congestion or vessel diversions may lead to extended transit times and possible delays.

Please reach out to your local Expeditors representative if you have any questions or concerns.