ABU DHABI — Indian diplomatic missions in the Gulf urged nationals on Friday to exercise utmost caution and avoid unnecessary travel after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region, while major Indian carriers suspended all flights to the Middle East over airspace restrictions.
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai advised nationals to “remain vigilant, take due care” and follow guidelines issued by UAE authorities and the embassy. Both missions are functioning normally, with emergency contacts provided including a toll-free helpline 800-46342 and WhatsApp number +971543090571.
Similar alerts were issued across the region. In Saudi Arabia, the embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah told nationals to “remain vigilant” and adhere to local safety guidelines and embassy advisories. Bahrain’s embassy urged citizens to “take due care” and monitor embassy and local authority updates. Jordan’s embassy advised all nationals and tourists to “exercise utmost caution” and for tourists to “leave immediately” before commercial flights are further disrupted. The Palestinian Representative Office in Ramallah called on nationals to “remain vigilant” and “avoid unnecessary movement”.
The advisories come as Iran’s response to the strikes included attacks on US facilities in the Gulf, with reports of explosions near bases in Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, and partial airspace closures in the UAE and Iraq.
Meanwhile, Indian airlines grounded operations to the region as a safety precaution. Air India, IndiGo and Air India Express suspended all flights to West Asia destinations, citing escalating airspace curbs in Iran, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.
IndiGo said in a statement on X: “In view of evolving airspace restrictions around Iran and Middle East, all flights to and from Middle East are cancelled till 0000hrs… These measures have been instituted as the safety and security of our customers and crew is our highest priority.”
Air India announced: “In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended… We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our passengers and crew.”
Air India Express confirmed it had suspended all westbound international flights, while SpiceJet warned that some services could be affected due to closures including at Dubai’s DXB airport.
Affected routes include Air India’s Delhi-Tel Aviv (diverted to Mumbai) and Delhi-Riyadh services, IndiGo’s Amritsar-Sharjah flight, and Air India Express operations from Vijayawada to Sharjah and Mangaluru to Doha.
The carriers said they were monitoring the situation and would provide refunds or rebooking options to impacted passengers. West Asian airspace forms a critical corridor for Indian carriers’ flights to Europe and North America, forcing potential rerouting with longer flight times.
Indian missions across the Gulf reported operating normally and provided emergency hotlines for nationals requiring assistance. No evacuation orders have been issued.
