Global airlines are rerouting flights to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with American carriers suspending services to Middle East destinations as risk warnings intensify even without direct threats to civil aviation.

Airlines are now operating on lengthier, more expensive routes via Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Caspian Sea, while limited evacuation efforts continue; the volatile situation has prompted Japan and New Zealand to launch citizen rescues, amplifying concerns that Gulf states may soon be drawn into the conflict.