NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. entry into Israel’s war with Iran caused travel disruptions to pile up globally this week — with flight cancellations continuing Tuesday, even after President Donald Trump claimed a ceasefire was “in effect.”
Following unprecedented bombings ordered by Trump on three Iranian nuclear and military sites over the weekend, Iran on Monday launched a limited missile attack on U.S. forces at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base. Qatar, which was quick to condemn the attack, had temporarily closed its airspace just over an hour earlier.
Airports and skies throughout the region have been on heightened alert since Israel began the deadly war on June 13 with a surprise barrage of attacks on Iran, which responded with its own missile and drone strikes. And in the days following the escalatory U.S. strikes, more and more carriers canceled flights, particularly in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which sit just across the Persian Gulf from Iran.
After a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Iran, some of those disruptions eased. But the truce appeared to be on shaky ground Tuesday, with Trump accusing both countries of violating the deal — the terms of which remain unknown. Many airlines have halted select routes through the middle of the week, citing safety concerns.
The Middle East carriers were severely affected with cancellations and delays this week.
Qatar Airways said its flights were suspended because of Monday's closure of air traffic in Qatar. Qatar Airways shared that it was working to restore operations after the country's airspace reopened — but noted that disruptions may continue through Thursday.
Emirates suspended all flights to Iran and Iraq, including those serving Baghdad and Basra, through June 30. An unspecified number of other Emirates flights were rerouted but continuing to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well distanced from conflict areas, according to the airline, which added that some flights may be delayed.
Etihad Airways, the other of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, suspended all flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv through July 15, and also announced several regional flight cancellations for Monday and Tuesday — including those connecting Abu Dhabi to and from Kuwait, Doha, Dammam and Muscat.
Gulf Air, the carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, extended the cancellation of scheduled flights to Jordan and until June 27.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines canceled some flights to and from Dubai starting Sunday and through Wednesday, citing “a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.” And British Airways said it had suspended flights to and from Doha through Wednesday, adding that it “will keep the situation under review.”
Air India on Monday announced it was ceasing “all operations to the (Middle East) region as well as to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe” until further notice. But the airline, which is separately still reeling from a plane crash that killed at least 270 people earlier this month, later said it was working to “progressively resume” these routes starting Tuesday.
In other developments earlier Tuesday, Dutch carrier KLM said that it would be suspending its flights to Dubai in the UAE and Riyad and Damman in Saudi Arabia until further notice. Philippine Airlines canceled several flights to the Middle East, including those to Doha, Dubai and Riyadh for Tuesday and one to Doha Wednesday. Japan Airlines said a flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport to Doha had to return Monday — adding that subsequently scheduled flights have all been canceled through June 27. And a Qatar Airways flight from Hong Kong to Doha was canceled on Tuesday.
Air tracking data from FlightAware showed 495 cancellations worldwide just after 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, following 834 cancellations seen Monday.
Such disruptions have snarled travel, particularly as central hubs in the Middle East often connect flights worldwide — but experts stress that these kind of airspace closures and flight diversions are critical to ensuring safety, especially if future escalation emerges suddenly.
“It is the responsibility of states, countries to ensure that their airspace is safe for passage of aircraft,” Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. He added that on Monday “the Qataris did the absolutely right thing to close their airspace because of the threat of conflict.”
Beyond Qatari airspace, Flightradar24 reported that UAE airspace was also closed for several hours Monday.
While the future is unknown, Ian Petchenik, director of communications at Flightradar24, noted that it's important to remember airspace closures and flight cancellations reflect that “airlines, air traffic controllers and flight crews are doing their best to keep everybody safe.”
Shahidi added that it's important for travelers to monitor government guidance — such as safety notices from the U.S. State Department.
Still, lengthy disruptions could carry more widespread implications. Beyond snarling global flight networks, Shahidi stresses that it's very difficult for people who may need or want to evacuate countries impacted by the war to do so without access to commercial flights.
At the same time, he adds, it's critical that state authorities focus on keeping their skies safe — pointing to past tragedies of passenger flights that were shot down by strikes. That includes Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down by Russian-backed forces while flying over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people.
“We are all praying and urging resolution to this conflict — and especially as it relates to protection of civilian air travel," Shahidi said. "We do not want to have an MH17, with innocent lives being lost in a missile strike ... We do not want to repeat that history.”
AP Writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
A Bundeswehr Airbus A400M with German Israel returnees on board taxis to its parking position at Frankfurt Airport, due to the war between Israel and Iran, early Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Lando Hass/dpa via AP)
FILE - Passengers walk at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
FILE - An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)
PHOENIX (AP) — Deja Foxx celebrated her April birthday in a way most 25-year-olds don’t. The extra candle meant she was now eligible to represent Arizona in Congress, and Foxx marked the occasion with a fundraiser.
She’s part of a wide-ranging group of young Democratic candidates, many running to replace older incumbents, who have grown restless waiting for their turn to lead their party back to power.
After a crushing 2024 election loss, they say the party desperately needs a rebranding — and young leaders should steer it.
In southern Arizona on Tuesday, Foxx is one of several Democrats hoping to step into a deep blue seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a longtime political power broker in Tucson. He had become one of the most senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill over two decades in Congress. Grijalva's daughter, Adelita, is one of the contenders, and three Republicans are vying in the GOP primary.
But the push for younger leaders won’t end there. In next year’s midterm elections, primary challengers have already begun to emerge in states like California and Indiana that will give Democratic voters choices between longtime lawmakers and younger candidates.
In Georgia, for example, 80-year-old Democratic Rep. David Scott’s decades-long legacy could end with a primary he’s expected to join. This has drawn challengers fed up with his refusal to step aside despite years of concern about his declining health and rare public appearances. The primary got crowded almost a year after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election race amid similar scrutiny over his age.
Challenging well-connected candidates can be daunting, but progressive leaders say the moment calls for urgency.
“Passing of the torch implies the leaders are handing it off,” said Amanda Litman, head of a group called Run for Something that bolsters progressive young candidates. “What we’re seeing right now is, the new generation is taking the torch. They’re not waiting for it to be passed.”
Many Boomer and Gen Z candidates alike have largely abandoned the traditional playbook of spending millions on TV ads in favor of TikTok and social media. But it's a pivot that older political hands would recognize from an older playbook: meeting voters where they are.
Foxx, a digital strategist, led influencer strategy for Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign bid. On TikTok, she speaks to nearly 400,000 followers, saying she’d be the first woman of “our” generation elected to Congress. In 2022, Florida voters elected the generation’s first congressman — Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost. The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, which Frost co-chairs, has endorsed Adelita Grijalva.
Foxx has leaned into popular Gen Z internet slang in branding her district tour “Crashout or Congress.”
“Does the news make you feel like you’re about to crash out? Be honest,” Foxx posted.
Foxx said her campaign turned a corner after a primary debate in late May, when some clips of her performance drew the eyes of millions and helped spark a fundraising boost.
If Scott seeks another term in his suburban Atlanta district, he'll face several candidates in the Democratic primary next May: microbiologist and state Rep. Jasmine Clark, 42; state Sen. Emanuel Jones, 66; and 33-year-old Everton Blair, former chair of the state’s largest school district. Scott's campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.
Clark racked up 7,000 TikTok followers after a popular influencer reposted her. She occasionally pops in with solutions to people’s problems on NextDoor and is sometimes recognized as a podcast host instead of a state representative. She says Republicans have done a better job at saturating social media with their messaging.
“Instead of looking at Republicans and wagging our fingers at them, we could take some lessons from them,” she said.
Voters have been crushed by high living costs, Clark said, but Republicans, not Democrats, have been the ones to tell people their pain is real — even though Democrats have better ideas for fixing things.
Blair agreed that Democrats have better policy prescriptions for addressing voters’ economic concerns, but he said too many longtime lawmakers have stifled the party’s ability to get that message across. He said President Donald Trump is fattening the wallets of billionaires but cheating low- and middle-income voters “out of the American dream.”
“We have an incumbent who is just not doing the job, and we need a better fighter,” Blair said. “The stakes are just too high.”
Young people have grown up in a political climate dominated by algorithms, said 21-year-old Akbar Ali, first vice chair of the Democratic Party in Gwinnett County, home to some of Scott's district. That gives them a built-in understanding of how information spreads today, he said, but doesn't replace on-the-ground outreach to voters of all ages.
He said Scott’s physical absence is palpable, both in the community and as a voice in Congress.
“A lot of people are upset on a national level because we can’t hit back with enough vigor.” he said.
Adelita Grijalva carries a household name in Tucson and is regarded as the frontrunner. To Foxx, Grijalva benefits from her “legacy” last name.
Grijalva, who has received several endorsements, including from Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, has pushed back. She said she brings her own credentials to the table. Her father was progressive and antiestablishment, and she said she is, too.
But Foxx, who benefited personally from some government programs the Trump administration has slashed or is looking to slash, said Democrats need to do more to reach new voters.
“We are bringing people into this party, into this democracy, who have felt left out — by and large young people and working-class folks,” Foxx said.
In New York City, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani recently won the mayor's race with an upbeat campaign that leaned heavily on TikTok and emphasized finding new ways to make city life more affordable.
In an era where so many young people doubt they’ll ever be better off than their parents, they’re increasingly willing to ditch pragmatism for bold policy platforms, said David Hogg.
Hogg was removed from his leadership role with the Democratic National Committee, which said his election broke party rules. His decision not to run again followed his push to oust long-serving Democrats in safe congressional seats. He has not backed away from his vow to primary “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats with fresher faces.
People of all ages want a fighter who understands what’s at stake as Trump cuts Medicaid and other programs that millions of Americans rely on, Hogg said. That’s why his political action committee, Leaders We Deserve, endorsed Foxx.
Young voters were key to Democratic wins in recent years, but some swung to the right as Trump made gains in 2024. Hogg said he's looking for candidates to “win them back” by talking about how change happens.
Older candidates can do that too, he said, but for better or worse, young people aren’t yet “jaded” by politics.
“In this dark moment, we need people who can provide us a general sense of hope, as crazy that can feel sometimes,” Hogg said. “To believe that maybe things won’t be as screwed up as they are now forever.”
Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. She reported from Atlanta.
Democrat mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a rally at the Hotel & GamingTrades Council headquarters in New York, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Georgia congressional candidate and state Rep. Jasmine Clark is pictured in Lawrenceville, Ga., June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
Georgia Congressional candidate Everton Blair, a Democrat, poses for a photo in Lilburn, Ga., on July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
FILE - Activist Deja Foxx participates in the Global Citizen NOW conference in New York, April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
