Ongoing US-Israel attacks on Iran leaves Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim stuck in Jeddah

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim is stranded in Jeddah after US-Israel strikes on Iran shut down Middle East airspace, grounding thousands of flights worldwide.

Bangladesh veteran Mushfiqur Rahim revealed he is stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after the escalating military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran brought air travel across the Middle East to a near standstill.

The experienced wicketkeeper-batter had travelled to Makkah to perform Umrah before making his way home to Dhaka, but his return journey was abruptly halted when Emirates flight EK0806, bound for Dubai, was turned back to Jeddah mid-air amid the rapidly deteriorating situation in the region.

In a heartfelt statement, Mushfiqur said, "I came to Makkah a few days ago to perform Umrah, and I was able to complete my pilgrimage. I was heading back to Bangladesh via Dubai this morning, but unfortunately, due to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, all flights were turned back to Jeddah mid-air. I am now stranded at Jeddah airport along with thousands of other passengers, including many fellow Bangladeshis."

Mushfiqur is among tens of thousands of travellers caught up in the chaos, as regional airspaces began closing following the US and Israeli offensive on Iran launched on Saturday. American President Donald Trump called on the

The Iranian public is to overthrow the Islamic leadership that has governed the nation since 1979, as the strikes sent shockwaves across the globe.

Airlines urged passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, with some carriers issuing waivers to affected travellers, allowing them to rebook without paying extra fees or higher fares.