Passengers have been plunged into travel chaos after the cancellation of flights between Western Europe and the Middle East after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

The “major combat operation” confirmed by Donald Trump on Saturday morning has had a major impact on flights in the region, as Iran and Iraq’s airspaces were closed due to the escalating action.

With missiles being launched from Israel against Iran, and retaliatory strikes from Iran, flights that would normally cross those countries are being forced to divert.

A video from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 shows the overnight stream of aircraft from the Gulf crossing northeast Iraq. But from around 6 am GMT, the pattern ends with aircraft instead flying west over Saudi Arabia.

Dubai International Airport, the biggest global hub, has suspended flights. On a typical day, around a quarter of a million passengers fly in and out of “DXB”.

The main airline, Emirates, said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.

“We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused, and we are assisting them with rebooking, refunds, or alternative travel arrangements. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”

Other airlines are affected. British Airways passenger Mike Boreham was aboard flight BA108, preparing to depart from Dubai to Heathrow, when the captain announced airspace had closed.

“We were all boarded,” he told The Independent. “The flight is completely full. About 10 minutes after the ‘boarding complete’ announcement we were told airspace is closed.”

After the closure was announced, many flights heading for Dubai returned to their starting points, including Emirates from Dublin, Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and LOT to Warsaw – which was also the landing place for the Emirates inbound flight from Seattle.

Abu Dhabi airport has closed until at least 2pm on Sunday. The home airline, Etihad, said: “All flights scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2pm UAE time [10am GMT] on Sunday 1 March.

“Flights scheduled to arrive into Abu Dhabi before 2pm UAE time on Sunday 1 March will be cancelled. Services scheduled to arrive after this time are expected to operate, subject to operational conditions.

“Flights already en route to Abu Dhabi are returning to their origin airports where required.

“Affected guests are being contacted directly and are being supported with rebooking options and hotel accommodation where necessary.

“Guests connecting via Abu Dhabi should note that if their onward sector has been cancelled, they will not be permitted to board at their departure airport.”

Qatar Airways has suspended all flights to and from its hub in Doha, with flights from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin and Heathrow all returning to their starting points.

British Airways has cancelled all its Saturday flights linking London Heathrow with Amman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. In addition, flights linking London with Bahrain and Tel Aviv are grounded until 3 March.

BA passengers due to travel between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv in the coming days have the option to change their flights for free.

Virgin Atlantic has cancelled its London Heathrow-Dubai flight on Saturday and the return flight on Sunday, as well as tomorrow’s link between Heathrow and Riyadh.

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A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told The Independent: “Due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, we have made the decision to temporarily avoid the airspace of Iraq, resulting in some pre-planned rerouting of our flights.

“The safety and security of our customers and people is always our top priority and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Dubai International Airport is the world’s busiest aviation hub, with dozens of flights each day to and from the UK.

Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until 7 March as a result of the strikes.

A spokesperson for the Hungarian budget airline said: “The airline is closely monitoring developments and remains in ongoing contact with local and international authorities, aviation safety agencies, security authorities, and relevant governmental bodies.

“We acknowledge the disruption this may cause and appreciate the understanding of our customers. Passengers with affected bookings will be contacted directly with information regarding their options.”

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Many airlines have grounded operations to and from Tel Aviv, including Delta, United, Air France, KLM, Aegean and FlyDubai.

Until around 6am GMT on Saturday, some planes were flying over Iran, mainly on north-south routes serving Dubai and other hubs. Such flights have now ended. The extended flight paths and inevitable air traffic control congestion will cause disruption until the airspace reopens.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn against all travel to Israel and Palestine.

In a statement on its website, it said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine.

“On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel commenced joint military action in Iran, Israeli airspace has now closed.”

British nationals in the region are urged to take “sensible precautions”, including following advice from regional authorities, staying away from military facilities and ensuring travel documents are up to date.

The announcements follow US-Israeli strikes on Iran in the early hours of Saturday morning and the subsequent retaliatory attacks on American bases in surrounding countries.

It comes as major airlines have cancelled flights to the region over the coming days.

In a statement on its website, the FCDO said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine.

“On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel commenced joint military action in Iran, Israeli airspace has now closed.”

British nationals in the region are urged to take “sensible precautions”, including following advice from regional authorities, staying away from military facilities and ensuring travel documents are up to date.

The updated advice on the FCDO website also warned British nationals in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait to immediately find shelter in place.

“Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities,” the update read.

Meanwhile, major airlines are suspending flights to the region pending further developments, and UK airports are advising passengers to keep in touch with their airlines for updates.

A London Heathrow statement said: “Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East and resulting airspace closures in the region, a small number of flights at Heathrow have been cancelled or delayed.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information on their flight.”

Flight-tracking websites have shown several flights that took off from British airports on Saturday have returned to their point of origin while a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Doha returned to London overnight just three hours after departure.

The airline said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman will be cancelled on Saturday.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain up to and including 03 March and have cancelled today’s service to Amman,” a spokesperson for the airline said.

“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting our customers to advise them of their travel options.”

Qatar Airways confirmed the temporary suspension of its flights to and from its capital Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

“The airline is working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and will resume operations when the airspace re-opens,” the airline said in a statement published on X.

“Once usual operations resume, we anticipate delays to our flight schedule.”

Virgin Atlantic is also suspending its service from London Heathrow to Dubai on Saturday and Sunday, and between London Heathrow and Riyadh on Sunday.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “Due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, we have made the decision to temporarily avoid the airspace of Iraq, resulting in some pre-planned rerouting of our flights.

“As a precautionary measure, we have also taken the decision to cancel the VS400 on Saturday, February 26 and the VS401 on Sunday, March 1 between London Heathrow and Dubai as well as the VS242 and VS243 between London Heathrow and Riyadh on Sunday, March 1.

“The safety and security of our customers and people is always our top priority and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“We are contacting affected customers regarding their travel arrangements.”

Gatwick Airport warned passengers that disruption is expected to Qatar and Emirates services on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the airport said on Saturday: “Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, airspace restrictions have been introduced in parts of the region.

“As a result, some flights to and from London Gatwick may experience delays or cancellations.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest information on flights.

“This is a fast-moving situation, and we are expecting disruption to our Qatar and Emirates flights, but I understand at this moment they have not been formally cancelled.”

11809301Wizz Air has also confirmed flights from London Luton to Tel Aviv, and from Tel Aviv to London Luton, are being suspended until and including March 7.

“The airline is closely monitoring developments and remains in ongoing contact with local and international authorities, aviation safety agencies, security authorities, and relevant governmental bodies,” a spokesperson for the airline said.

“Operational decisions will continue to be reviewed, and the flight schedule may be adjusted as the situation evolves.”

The FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom has said they will ‘monitor developments’ after the United States – co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup – launched military action against Iran

FIFA will ‘monitor developments’ in Iran in the wake of military action being launched against them by the United States, their secretary general has said.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that “major combat operations” were underway after launching missile strikes on Iran alongside Israel on Saturday morning.

Iran have qualified for the World Cup, which will be held across America, Canada and Mexico this summer. The Middle Eastern nation have been drawn in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt – but the situation will be monitored in the wake of the US strikes.

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“I read the news [about Iran] this morning the same way you did,” said Mattias Grafstrom, who was at the International Football Association Board’s annual general meeting in Cardiff, Wales on Saturday, via ESPN. “We had a meeting today and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world.

“We had the finals draw in Washington in which all teams participated, and our focus is on a safe World Cup with all the teams participating.

“We will continue to communicate as we always do with three [host] governments as we always do in any case. Everybody will be safe.”

Iran are scheduled to play two of their group games in Los Angeles, with the third taking place in Seattle.

All flights into and out of Dubai Airport have been suspended amid the fallout from US strikes on Iran, leaving players participating in the Dubai Tennis Championship stranded.

It was confirmed that all flight operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) had been halted after the city was hit by an explosion on Saturday.

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Jordan Ellerby, 30, of Healey Grove in York, was presented at York Magistrate’s Court on Saturday (February 28).

The charges relate to an incident which took place at a home in Trinity Lane, off Micklegate, in which a man in his 40s was hospitalised with serious wounds that were “consistent with a stabbing”.

The man remains in critical condition in hospital.

Ellerby made no indication of pleas during the brief court hearing.

He stood beside a dock officer and spoke only to confirm his name and address.

Ellerby was represented by Charlotte Hague and will be remanded in custody to appear at York Crown Court on Monday, April 13.

Dr Rema Malik urged people to follow her tips to help protect yourself

A vascular surgeon has issued a stark warning urging travellers to safeguard their health when flying. Dr Rema Malik revealed that millions of people remain oblivious to the pressures and demands flying imposes on our bodies.

She explained that air travel hits us with a ‘three-hit combo’ which puts us at risk of blood clots. The NHS warns that: “Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a vein, usually in the leg.” It adds that DVT can be ‘dangerous’.

It develops when a semi-solid, gel-like mass of blood cells (platelets) and proteins (fibrin) forms to halt bleeding from damaged vessels. Dr Malik said: “Whilst you are stressing about packing gifts and catching connections, your body is fighting a different battle inside that pressurised tube.

“As a vascular surgeon, I don’t worry about the turbulence outside the plane. I worry about the “turbulence” happening inside your veins. When the cabin door closes, you enter a three-hit combo environment perfectly designed to create a blood clot (DVT):

1 – Sitting/stagnation

Prolonged sitting shuts down your “Second Heart” (your calf muscles). Without movement, blood stops pumping up and starts pooling down.

2 Air sludge factor

Cabin air is drier than the Sahara Desert. This rapidly dehydrates you, making your blood physically thicker and sludgier. Thick blood clots faster.

3 The “pressure” (Dilation)

Lower cabin pressure causes your veins to expand (dilate). This stretches the valves, making them less efficient at fighting gravity. This is not about comfort. It’s about safety.

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Symptoms

Symptoms of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in the leg are:

• throbbing pain in 1 leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing up
• swelling in 1 leg (rarely both legs)
• warm skin around the painful area
• red or darkened skin around the painful area – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin
• swollen veins that are hard or sore when you touch them

These symptoms can also happen in your arm or tummy if that’s where the blood clot is. People are urged to seek immediate medical help if they think they have DVT.

What can you do about it?

Thankfully, Dr Malik offers three recommendations to help safeguard you against DVT whilst flying. She said: “The truth is that you wouldn’t drive a car without oil.

“Don’t fly a body without circulation. Whether you are 25 or 65, here is your “In-Flight” Vascular Protocol.

“Wear the armourCompression socks (15-20 mmHg) are non-negotiable. They mechanically force blood flow and prevent swelling. Put them on before you leave the house.

“The “8-Ounce” Rule. Drink 8oz of water for every hour you are in the air. Coffee and wine don’t count (they dehydrate you further).

“The Pump Check: Every 30 minutes, do 30 ankle pumps. Pretend you are pressing a gas pedal. This manually fires the calf muscle to clear stagnant blood.

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The podcaster and presenter chats to the Mirror about his admiration for Paul O’Grady, his love of dogs – and how he’ll still be talking about Strictly on his deathbed

Animal lover Pete Wicks is hoping to become the new Paul O’Grady, as his For Dog’s Sake? Channel 4 series gets tail waggingly good reviews from fans. He says: “Am I the new Paul O’Grady? It would be a privilege. He’s an icon, a national treasure. “What he did for dogs, the love that he showed, you don’t find very often. It’s an absolute honour to even be put in the same sentence as someone like that.”

Speaking from his East London flat, his new puppy, a five-month-old rescue rottweiler named Rodney, and his aged French bulldog, “blind and deaf, basically a loaf of bread on legs” are never far away. He continues: “Whenever you watched Paul with dogs there was genuine love and care.

I’m the same, and I think that’s where the comparisons come from. I met him once at an awards ceremony, and I was star struck. He probably had no idea who I was. He was a really lovely man. And whenever you think of him, you think of dogs. That’s what I hope for.”

READ MORE: ‘I bought my whippet Christmas pyjamas, £150 of gifts…and his own £4k sofa’

Pete, 37, found fame on ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex in 2015, but is now known for his weekly podcast Pete Wicks: Man Made, for co-hosting the podcast Staying Relevant with Sam Thompson and for his TV show Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake. He says: “Dogs are the only thing that make me feel safe, happy, content.”

Admitting that he is still grieving the recent death of his French bulldog, Peggy, a few months ago, he adds: “I’m still really upset about it to be honest, I’ve been grieving. I think we underestimate sometimes in the UK how much of an impact losing a dog, or any other animal that’s part of your family is. I spend some of my happiest moments with my dogs, and I did with Peggy.”

Reflecting on his childhood in Harlow, Essex, he says his love of dogs started very young, explaining: “I was a bit of a weird child. I didn’t really play with toys. I collected sticks. The only kind of toy I remember as a kid was a little wooden dog on wheels.” Speaking ahead of the legendary dog show Crufts, which he will be going to next week, Pete, who came fourth on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, says he has other TV work in the pipeline.

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But, despite his love of dogs, he also loved the human interaction he had on Strictly and praises his professional dance partner, Jowita Przystał, 31, who he has been romantically linked to.

He says: “I’ll be talking about Strictly until the day I die, on my deathbed – I’ll probably be that kind of sad old man, if I make it that far, that will sit and talk about the time that I did an Argentine tango in front of millions of people. It is surprising how intense and consuming it is. I couldn’t believe I was still there week after week – I mean, I can’t dance!”

But he says his lifelong insomnia helped, as he still had plenty of energy. He adds: “I only need three hours of sleep a night. It’s just a bit of insomnia. But I’ve been like that since I’m a kid, so I’m so used to it now. If I get three, four hours I’m good as gold. I also had the best partner I possibly could have done [Jowita]. She’s become such a good friend of mine now. That whole experience had a lot to do with her being so amazing.”

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But, barking mad or not, Pete’s big dream is to dance into the sunset with his canine friends. He says: “My dream is to buy some land in the middle of nowhere and build a home for ASBO dogs, the ones that nobody wants. Everyone deserves a second chance, I know I do.”

*Pete Wicks is an ambassador for Pooch & Mutt: a UK pet food and health brand on a mission to help dogs live happier, healthier lives. See poochandmutt.co.uk

READ MORE: ‘I’ve spent £450 on my cockapoo this Christmas – my hubby’s only got a card!’

Tilly runs her own cleaning company, works in a pub and runs a homeless charity. Anthony is a millionaire who hasn’t cleaned a toilet since 1975. If they can stand to be handcuffed to each other for 10 days straight, they could split £100,000 between them.

Sounds easy? It’s not – and it’s the premise of Channel 4’s timely new social experiment, Handcuffed, hosted by Jonahtan Ross, exploring whether common ground can be found in an increasingly broken Britain.

Tilly and Anthony are two of 18 brave strangers putting their patience and tolerance to the test. Elsewhere, a staunch feminist is tethered to an alpha male, a heterosexual gay porn star is bound to a ‘prude’ homemaker, and a lefty Green councillor is chained to a Farageophile.

They are completely inseparable the entire time. They eat together, sleep together, even shower and use the toilet together. It’s as intimate as you can possibly get with a total stranger. But none of that fazed Tilly quite as much as her own bodily functions.

‘I was very panicky about farting, my farts are rotten. I’ve got really bad IBS, honestly, and I’d been trumping all day in this man’s house,’ Tilly tells Metro of her biggest concerns throughout the process.

‘That was something that worried me, and also the sleeping. The first two nights we stayed at Anthony’s, and he was sleeping with dogs in the bed, he was snoring so much and I was boiling hot.

‘He didn’t have any underwear on at one point, so I had to tell him, “You need to put some pants on.”’

Tilly assures me Anthony did oblige to her request, but they swiftly had to learn to be completely comfortable with each other naked. On their first morning together, after sweating uncomfortably in their shared bed during a record-hot summer, they had to shower side by side.

‘We just got on with it on our second day,’ Tilly says. ‘Others wore blindfolds, got screens up. On the flip side, I was having a wee and I said to Anthony, “do you mind turning around? Your face is literally in my fanny.”

‘I lucked out because Anthony’s gay. I wouldn’t have been so free with my body with a straight man.’

Getting over the intimacy of essentially sharing a body with another person is one thing; tolerating them at their best and worst is another.

‘Anthony can talk for f**king England,’ says Tilly, clearly still exasperated by the memory of it.

She tells me that she’s an alcoholic and former drug taker and has now been sober for seven years.

‘He never asked me about that,’ she says. ‘I pulled him up on it, and then he sort of made the whole conversation about himself. It made me realise you can’t expect everybody to be like you or treat you the way you treat them.’

Anthony and Tilly did not walk into life on the same playing field – a fact Anthony couldn’t quite grasp. He can’t comprehend that Tilly can’t imagine a day when she will buy her own property, planning to spend her share of the prize money – should they win – on paying a year’s rent on a London flat upfront. He, admirably, wants to use the money to pay for his mother’s care home bills – ‘even if he can afford it himself,’ Tilly laughs.

‘He just thinks everything comes really easily to people and it doesn’t, sadly,’ she says.

‘Until he came and saw the work that at my homeless charity, saw how people actually live, he was taken quite aback. I probably took for granted how easily it comes to me to speak to people, and it doesn’t come that easily to him, especially people that aren’t on his level.

‘We’ve been out since and I remember him saying to me, “I’ve not bought any new clothes since we’ve done the experiment because I just think about that man hanging up his clothes in the trees and how much it hurt me.” I thought, “fair play to you. I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I felt like mission accomplished.”’

Tilly and Anthony weren’t on a level playing field during the experiment either. £50,000 is significantly more impactful for Tilly than for Anthony; the prospect of losing it when it’s so close to her grasp is absolutely petrifying when, for Anthony, he could likely move on without his life, home or future being even slightly dented.

How did it feel knowing her fate rested in the hands of a millionaire who just didn’t need £50,000?

‘I was very honest from the start that I was desperate for the money,’ she says. ‘I wanted to win that money so much to the point where I didn’t really want to think about it too much, because if you imagine things and then it doesn’t happen, then how heartbroken are you going to be? Anthony knew that the prize money meant more to me than it did to him but because of our relationship and how he feels towards me, that pushed him to make us want to win even more.’

No one is allowed to enter the shops apart from emergency services.

Three shops in Peterborough have been closed after concerns were raised about drug dealing and associated anti-social behaviour. A three-month order was issued by Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 25.

The Musa store, the Constanta shop, and D1 Barbers, all on Lincoln Road, were closed. The ruling for the stores in Millfield followed an application from the force’s Northern Neighbourhoods Team.

The closure orders state the premises be closed in accordance with the Anti-Social Behaviour and Policing Act 2014. No one is allowed to enter the shops except the emergency services until May 24, 2026.

If anyone is found on the premises unlawfully, they could be arrested. Anyone with information about the order being breached should contact the police via the force website. Anyone without internet can report anything by calling 101.

Sergeant Paul Littlechild said: “Closure orders allow us to target the core issues within the community, and in this instance, it was drug dealing and its associated anti-social behaviour. Through regular patrols, we will ensure this order is adhered to. If you have any information about the order being breached, then please report it to us.”

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Chloe Dods, assistant trainer to her father, Michael Dods, is in Bahrain with two of the County Durham stable’s most successful horses, Commanche Falls and Northern Express.

Chloe, who is staying in an apartment in Seef, told how she heard sirens just before midday today as Iran retaliated following strikes by the US and Israel.

According to the BBC, Iran claims to have struck a US naval base at Manama, which is about 15 miles from Seef.

“I heard the sirens and felt the windows rattle in my apartment when the missiles struck – then I saw black smoke rising,” said Chloe.

“It was frightening at the time, and it all feels a bit weird at the moment because it’s so unpredictable. No one knows what’s going to happen next. We’ve been told to stay close to our accommodation and avoid unnecessary travel.”

Chloe Dods, who is temporarily based in Bahrain (Image: Michael Dods Racing)

The two horses, normally stabled at Denton, near Darlington, flew to Bahrain in December and have so far raced three times. Chloe has overseen their training at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, which is a 20-minute drive from Seef.

Commanche Falls is due to run again next Thursday and Northern Express is scheduled to run on Friday, however it is uncertain whether racing will now go ahead, with jockeys’ travel arrangements being affected.

Commanche Falls’ owners were due to fly out on Monday, but flights have been cancelled.

The horses are due to fly back the following Monday but that will depend on flights resuming.

“Before this happened, it had been a great experience – I’ve loved it – but it’ll be nice to get back home now,” added Chloe.

Michael said: “It’s obviously a worry. We’re getting updates from the International Racing Bureau and speaking regularly with Chloe but all we can do at the moment is monitor the situation closely. Everything’s up in the air.”

Leading criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone, managing director of PCD Solicitors who specialises in representing those accused of sexual offences, said: “I am not remotely surprised that Ian Huntley has been attacked in prison, four months since Ian Watkins was murdered by a fellow prisoner at HMP Wakefield.