Toronto, March 2, 2026
The following message was issued by the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) on March 2, 2026:
Airspace Closed, Airlines Halt Flights as U.S., Israel Attack, Iran Responds
A wave of American and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliation by Tehran on targets across the region have forced much of the Middle East’s airspace to shut down, with reverberations across the globe.
At least eight states declared their airspace closed as the conflict erupted Saturday, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Syria also announced it had closed part of its airspace in the south along its border with Israel for 12 hours.
The closures came after the U.S. and Israel carried out attacks across Iran that US President Donald Trump pledged would raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy. Iran, which had been engaged in negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program right up until the attack, pledged a harsh response and soon began waging retaliatory strikes in Israel, as well as several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. military assets, including Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain.
“All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. “There are no red lines after this aggression, and everything is possible.”
The Middle East has become an important route for flights between Europe and Asia, as Russian and Ukrainian airspace is closed to most airlines due to the war there.
Read more in an article from Al Jazeera
Shipping Lines Cut Mideast Routes, Posing Risk to Trade Flows
The world’s largest container carriers are rerouting ships to avoid the Persian Gulf, as a widening military conflict pitting the U.S.-Israeli alliance against Iran threatens to disrupt global merchandise trade.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. halted cargo bookings for the Middle East, while Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd AG suspended all crossings in the Strait of Hormuz.
DP World earlier suspended operations at the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, according to a notice sent to customers and seen by Bloomberg on Sunday, March 1. The company later said all four of its terminals were operational.
The logistics disruptions come as a major blow to the region, where business hubs such as Dubai rely on trade, tourism, transport and finance along with a reputation as a haven in a troubled neighbourhood. Protracted snarls could reverberate across global supply chains, analysts warn.
Read more in an article from Supply Chain Brain
For more information, please call Monserrat Vazquez, Manager – Freight Solutions at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1230.
