Gulf chaos leaves South Africans grounded

South Africa and other countries across the world cancelled international flights due to ongoing conflicts between Iran, the US, and Israel. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Sunday said that it is in communication with South Africans stranded in the Gulf nations following the US and Israel strikes on Iran and the subsequent retaliatory attacks. South Africa and other countries across the world have cancelled international flights due to massive airspace closures in the Middle East, saying this was to ensuresafety and avoid the conflict zone.

South Africa and other countries across the world have cancelled international flights due to massive airspace closures in the Middle East, saying this was to ensure The US and Israel launched a massive and coordinated military offensive against Iran on Saturday. DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said no South Africans stated that they are in distress so far, while the deputy director-general, Clayson Monyela, said the department is in communication with South Africans stranded in the region and is reviewing evacuation contingencies. “So far we have not lost anybody.

The South Africans we know of are all accounted for. We are monitoring the situation. But the challenge is that unfortunately, it is not possible to move people out to those places because there is no means to do that,” Monyela said. The departments said evacuations of South Africans in Gulf nations can’t take place until the bombing stops International bodies including the United Nations and the African Union have called for a de-escalation of tensions.