The Middle East experienced a series of military escalations on Saturday, February 28, causing disruptions to the shipping industry.

Airfreight

Airspace closures across much of the Middle East have forced flight cancellations and major travel disruptions, especially through hubs such as Dubai and Doha. 

The following countries have fully closed their airspace following the escalation:

• Iran: Entirely closed.

• Iraq: Closed to all flights; airlines have suspended all scheduled operations.

• Israel: Closed to civilian aircraft.

• Qatar: Closed to civilian flights.

• Bahrain: Closed as a precautionary measure.

• Kuwait: Closed until further notice.

• Syria: Closed to all flights.

Several countries have implemented partial closures or significant operational restrictions:

• United Arab Emirates (UAE): Officially under a “partial and temporary” closure. Major hubs including Dubai (DXB), Al Maktoum (DWC), and Abu Dhabi (AUH) have grounded all flights. While some airspace is technically open, there is currently no active commercial flight activity due to restrictions.

• Jordan: Listed as having limited flight activity, though intermittent full temporary closures have been reported.

• Lebanon: Airspace remains open but with very limited flight activity and elevated risk warnings.

• Oman: Implemented significant airspace restrictions following retaliatory missile activity.

Flights already airborne at the time of the strikes were rerouted to unaffected countries, including Egypt and Turkey. In addition, more than 15 airlines have temporarily suspended select Middle East routes through at least Sunday of this week.

Ocean Freight

The IRGC (Iran's Revolutionary Guard) announced a closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier today, vessels reported receiving a VHF transmission from Iran's Revolutionary Guards stating, "No ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz". This reflects heightened risk and uncertainty.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical chokepoints, specifically for oil exports out of the Middle East.

There is no maritime alternative to the Persian Gulf (UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, and Dammam port in Saudi Arabia). Vessels inside the Gulf cannot leave, and vessels arriving cannot enter.

Carriers have begun announcing service suspensions and diversions. (Example: Official Hapag-Lloyd announcement).

The situation remains fluid and subject to rapid change. Customers impacted will be contacted by their account managers for business continuity purposes.

Should you need additional information, please contact your local Expeditors representative for the latest cargo status and routing updates.