Dubai Under Attack Day 2: Dubai Airport Hit Again, 70% of Flights Canceled, Khamenei Confirmed Dead as Iran Strikes Continue

Sunday, March 1, 2026 — Iran's retaliatory campaign against the Gulf has entered a devastating second day. Dubai International Airport was struck again this morning in a fresh wave of Iranian attacks, with passengers forced to evacuate through smoke-filled corridors. Khamenei's death has now been formally confirmed — and the grief and fury in Tehran is supercharging Iran's response. Here is the full Dubai news update as of Sunday morning ET.

Dubai Airport Hit Again on Day 2 — Passengers Flee Through Smoke

A thick plume of smoke rose near Dubai International Airport following a second major incident in the city on Sunday, March 1, 2026. A concourse at the airport sustained minor damage and emergency response teams were immediately deployed, Dubai Airports confirmed. Four staff were injured. Dramatic footage shows people fleeing a smoke-filled passageway strewn with furniture and debris. Passengers at the airport said they had been given vouchers for hotels for what could be a long wait in Dubai.

Dubai International Airport was most impacted of any hub globally on Sunday, with 747 flights — or 70% of all scheduled departures and arrivals — canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Another 1,579 flights in and out of major airports across the Middle East were canceled on Sunday in total. At least 70% of flights were also canceled in Israel and Qatar. Olympic badminton star PV Sindhu was among thousands of travelers caught in the chaos, posting on X that her coach had to run from smoke and debris — calling it an extremely tense and scary moment.

Jebel Ali Port Struck for Second Consecutive Day

The United Arab Emirates was hit by retaliatory strikes from Iran for a second straight day. Dubai's media office confirmed that debris from drones intercepted by air defenses fell in the courtyards of two homes in Dubai, resulting in two injuries. Jebel Ali Port — the region's largest commercial harbor — was struck again, with debris from an aerial interception causing a fire at one of the berths.

CNN's Paula Hancocks reporting live from Dubai confirmed Iranian retaliatory strikes hit the commercial area of Jebel Ali directly. The port is capable of handling US warships including aircraft carriers and represents approximately a third of the UAE's non-oil trade. A shutdown of this magnitude sends immediate shockwaves through global supply chains, commodity shipping routes, and energy logistics networks.

Khamenei Confirmed Dead — Iran Launches Three-Person Interim Council

The Iranian government has announced the formation of a three-person interim council to oversee the transition following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as his supporters take to the streets in Tehran and other cities in mourning. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced Khamenei's killing as a great crime. The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also died in the US-Israeli attacks on Tehran.

It has been more than a day since the United States and Israel launched strikes on cities across Iran. Tehran retaliated by launching attacks towards multiple countries, which have continued into Sunday. CNN teams reported blasts in several capitals and major cities Sunday morning, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain's Manama. Iran's internet connectivity collapsed to just 4% of normal levels following the US-Israeli strikes, according to independent monitoring group NetBlocks.

Dubai Residents Hide, JBR Beach Empty — Tourists Flee to Oman

The popular JBR Beach in Dubai was almost empty on Sunday. With the UAE's airspace closed, some people drove to quieter parts of the country. In Hatta, near the Omani border, at least one hotel turned a conference room into a makeshift shelter for tourists who had checked out but were unable to fly home. Others crossed into Oman by road — at least initially the only country in the region untouched by Iranian strikes. On Sunday, however, Omani authorities said two drones had targeted a port there. Dubai, a city that prides itself on safety and stability, has no public bomb shelters. Many residents spent Saturday night in underground parking garages, parents shielding anxious children from the reality of explosions overhead.

Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways All Suspended Indefinitely

Flight movements at Emirates, the world's largest international airline, remain suspended indefinitely. Etihad Airways extended cancellations until 2 a.m. Monday, March 2. Qatar Airways said all flights are still halted and will provide an update by 9 a.m. Monday. Singapore Airlines canceled its Singapore-Dubai service until March 7.

Flight tracking website FlightAware showed that a total of 7,716 flights were delayed and 2,280 were canceled globally as of 6 a.m. ET Sunday — making this the single largest aviation disruption event in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic. Iran's airspace closure has been extended until at least March 3, with further extensions possible, according to FlightRadar24's NOTAM data. Travelers with any itineraries through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, or Manama in the coming days should contact their airline immediately and not proceed to any airport without confirmed rebooking.