UAE briefly closes airspace as West Asia conflict escalates
The Hindu
UAE temporarily closes airspace amid escalating West Asia conflict and missile threats from Iran, then quickly reopens it.
Explosions sounded over Dubai early Tuesday (March 17, 2026) as the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) military worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire that caused the country to briefly close its airspace as war in the Middle East continued to escalate.
The Israeli military said early Tuesday (March 17, 2026) it had begun a “wide-scale wave of strikes” across Iran’s capital and was also stepping up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. It announced the new strikes as Israel reported two incoming salvos from Iran.
Iran-Israel war LIVE - March 17, 2026
The U.S. and Israel had pummelled military targets in Iran's capital a day earlier, with Israel stepping up bombardments of Iran-backed militants in Lebanon.
Fears of a global energy crisis loomed even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil normally travels.
Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing oil prices and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy.
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Iran-Israel war: Follow live updates from The HIndu on the West Asia conflict on Marh 16, 2026