Stranded travelers in the Middle East share their accounts of being stuck during the war

Stranded travelers in the Middle East share their accounts of being stuck during the war The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran has stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers amid flight cancellations and airspace closures By The Associated Press March 4, 2026, 6:40 PM Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded across the Middle East amid the U.S. and Israel’s joint war against Iran. And between swaths of flight cancellations and airspace closures, many are still scrambling for next steps. In a matter of days, the conflict has continued to escalate — particularly with strikes in the Gulf states where, beyond the Middle East, airports serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia. Despite ongoing evacuation efforts , flights remain deeply disrupted. Many tourists, business travelers, migrant workers and others are navigating it all. Some travelers shared their stories with The Associated Press. Here's a glimpse of what they've experienced. Viktoriia Lokhmatova, who lives in Serbia, and Michael Crepin, who lives in Belgium, had traveled to Dubai with their children for a special milestone. Although the couple have been together for more than a year, the trip was the first time their children — her 8-year-old daughter, Anny, and his 13-year-old son, Gabriel, — would meet in person. And all four were celebrating their birthdays in February. But their plans changed when their return flight was canceled amid regional airspace disruptions with the outbreak of the war. A rebooking was also canceled, leaving the group scrambling to find a way home while facing the cost of extending their stay. “We stayed on calls with the airline for almost two days trying to figure out another flight,” Lokhmatova said. While searching for options, she discovered an initiative by local vacation-home operators offering temporary accommodation to stranded travelers. The couple and their children were offered a free stay for one night in an apartment managed...