Flights diverted across region as Qatar shuts airspace
Flights have been diverted to airports across the region after Qatar said on Monday that it was temporarily closing its airspace.
Dozens of planes headed to Doha have been rerouted, with AirNav Radar reporting that 91 flights travelling towards Qatar's capital were diverted after the announcement. Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dammam were reportedly among the list of new destinations for travellers.
Qatar's move came 'as part of a group of precautionary measures that were taken based on the developments in the region', the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement after nearby Iran threatened retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear sites.
The UK and US issued alerts to their citizens in Qatar to shelter in place amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
'Following a US security alert for US nationals in Qatar, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that British nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice,' the UK Foreign Office said in its update.
The US embassy in Qatar sent an email to US citizens in the country recommending they shelter in place until further notice. The message said the recommendation was 'out of an abundance of caution' and offered no further information.
The region is on edge in anticipation of a possible Iranian retaliation against US interests in the Middle East after Washington bombed Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, entering the Iran-Israel conflict for the first time.
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