Madison Burgess
The conflict in the Middle East has caused chaos for global travel, with airports closing and holidaymakers stranded.
And in the wake of the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, strict travel warnings have been issued to American citizens.
For those who aren't up to date with the news, America and Israel attacked Iran with airstrikes on Saturday (28 February), which killed the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Iran has retaliated by carrying out widespread missile and drone attacks, targeting American assets and allies, such as Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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It has resulted in a number of travel warnings for countries in the Middle East due to safety, as well as damaged infrastructure spelling problems.
For example, the Dubai Airport, which is the busiest in the world for international travel as per the BBC, was damaged by drone debris during the counter-strikes, which has led it to be closed for days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
While some travel warnings were already separately in place for countries like Russia, a number of new advisories have been issued by the US government in the wake of the conflict.
The US has issued a Level 3 warning for travel in Qatar, which is the second most serious travel advisory.
It urges people to 'reconsider travel' due to the ongoing threat of armed conflict.
Additionally, on 3 March, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Qatar as soon as possible, if it's safe to do so.
A warning from the US embassy in Qatar reads: "To the extent possible, remain inside your residence, hotel, or another structure, and stay away from windows. Please remain vigilant, as the Iranian government and its proxies may seek to target Americans in retaliation for US strikes against Iran."
Meanwhile, a new travel alert from Qatar Airways says that 'flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace'.
"Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities. A further update will be provided on 6 March," the statement read.
The airline said it is today (5 March) starting to operate a limited number of relief flights to support passengers who are stranded due to the current situation across the region.
The following services are planned:
The same Level 3 warning has been put in place in Kuwait.
A government advisory reads: "Reconsider Travel to Kuwait due to the threat of armed conflict, landmines, and crime.
"On March 2, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of government personnel to leave Kuwait due to safety risks."
According to Newsweek, a previous warning also stated that people should 'exercise increased caution in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area in Kuwait City because of crime'.
"Do not travel to the desert area near the border with Iraq because of bombs, shells, and landmines left over from the 1990 Gulf War," the advisory warned.
Bahrain has also been slapped with a Level 3 'reconsider travel' warning.
The warning says: "Following the onset of hostilities between the United States and Iran on February 28, there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights."
It adds: "Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Bahrain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. Targets may include tourist sites, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, and religious sites, as well as government and military facilities."
It comes as the US Department of State has also urged all Americans to immediately depart more than a dozen countries in the Middle East.
In a statement posted on X on 2 March, Mora Namdar, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, said American citizens should 'DEPART NOW' from the countries listed using available commercial transportation 'due to serious safety risks'.
You can find more information on the US government's website.