Iranian nationals are no longer permitted to enter or transit the United Arab Emirates, two of the country’s largest airlines announced Wednesday, as regional tensions triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran spill across the Gulf.
Emirates and flydubai confirmed the new restrictions on their websites, marking the most significant escalation yet in the UAE’s response to the conflict that has engulfed the region. The only Iranians allowed entry are those holding the UAE’s “Golden Visa” — a long-term residency permit, the airlines said.
The ban comes after weeks of escalating hostilities that have already seen the UAE close Iranian cultural institutions in Dubai and thousands of Iranian residents flee the country.
The Conflict That Triggered the Ban
The US and Israel launched a sustained military campaign against Iran beginning February 28, with waves of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, military installations, and leadership positions. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli assets across the Middle East, including strikes on Gulf nations hosting American forces.
The UAE has been a primary target. Iranian forces have launched attacks on UAE soil, including a strike that killed two Emirati soldiers and one civilian contractor and injured 178 others, according to UAE government figures. The UAE military has intercepted 414 missiles and 1,914 drones launched by Iranian forces since the conflict began.
The UAE has also participated in the US-Israeli campaign, with Emirati forces engaging Iranian positions and providing logistical support for coalition operations.
Iranian Institutions Shuttered in Dubai
The travel ban follows a broader campaign by UAE authorities to dismantle Iranian presence in the country.
Last month, Dubai’s Iranian Hospital — a landmark institution established during the Shah’s era that has served the city’s Iranian community for generations — was ordered to close its doors. The Iranian Club, another long-standing cultural institution, was also shuttered.
According to Iran International, at least 1,200 Iranians have fled Dubai in recent weeks. Iranian schools in the UAE have suspended operations, and the Dubai branch of Islamic Azad University — a major Iranian academic institution — has also been closed.
The Iranian government has reportedly requested ships from Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization to evacuate Iranian citizens from the UAE, though it remains unclear how many have been evacuated or remain in the country.
Golden Visa Exception
The only Iranians permitted to enter or transit the UAE are those holding the Golden Visa — a long-term residency program launched in 2019 that grants foreigners the right to live, work, and study in the UAE without a national sponsor.
The Golden Visa has been widely used by wealthy Iranians seeking to establish a presence in Dubai’s financial and business sectors. It is unclear how many Iranians hold a visa or whether the exemption will remain in place as tensions escalate.
Regional Fallout
The UAE’s move follows similar restrictions imposed by other Gulf nations. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have all taken steps to limit Iranian presence on their soil as the conflict widens.
For Iranians who have long viewed Dubai as a refuge from economic hardship and political repression at home, the ban marks a sudden and devastating rupture. Many who fled Iran in recent years to escape sanctions and unrest now find themselves once again displaced — this time, from a country that was, until recently, a welcoming haven.
What Comes Next
The travel ban is effective immediately. Emirates and flydubai did not specify how long the restrictions would remain in place, but with US-Israeli strikes on Iran continuing and Iranian retaliatory attacks on Gulf states showing no signs of abating, the closure appears open-ended.
For the tens of thousands of Iranians who have made the UAE their home — some for decades — the question now is whether the ban is a temporary wartime measure or the beginning of a permanent separation between two Gulf neighbors that were once each other’s most important regional partners.
