Several Indians were among those who have been injured in the missile and drone attacks by Iran in West Asia, authorities in the UAE and Oman said on Sunday (March 1, 2026). The announcement came as the conflict between the U.S.-Israel alliance and the Islamic Republic entered its second day, even as Indian missions heightened activities to address concerns of citizens scattered across West Asia.
Three were killed in drone attacks and 58, including Indians, were injured in the UAE, the Defence Ministry of the Gulf country said. Iran launched 541 drones at Abu Dhabi and Dubai and nearly 506 of these were destroyed by the UAE forces, the Ministry said, adding that, “3 deaths of Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 58 cases of minor injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, and Afghan nationalities.”
Also Read: U.S., Israel attack Iran
A total of 165 ballistic missiles launched by Iran were detected since the beginning of the conflict, and 152 of them were destroyed, it said.
An oil tanker with 20 crew members, 15 among them Indians, was targeted off the Oman coast, the Maritime Security Centre of Oman said. The tanker Skylight, under the flag of the Republic of Palau, was hit five nautical miles north of Khasab port in the Musandam Governorate, it said, adding that “preliminary information also indicates varying injuries among four members of the ship’s crew, who have been transferred to receive necessary medical treatment”.
Stranded passengers
The ripple effect of the conflict, which began with the U.S. and Israel striking targets across Iran on Saturday (February 28), is being felt across India, with flight cancellations and uncertainties leaving people stranded at multiple locations.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday (March 1) issued an order urging all foreign nationals who failed to leave India because of the ongoing conflict over the weekend to reach out to their nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for extension of visa and regularisation of stay.
A total of 84 students and 4 faculty members of Indira University’s School of Business (ISBS), Pune, were stuck in Dubai after the temporary closure of the UAE airspace. The team had travelled to Dubai for an international academic and cultural immersion programme, and the institution has connected with and urged the MEA to safely bring them back, The Hindu was told. “The authority has assured that once airspace operations resume, arrangements will be made for their safe return to India at the earliest,” said ISBS Dean Janardhan Pawar. All students and faculty members are safe and are presently accommodated at Savoy Park Hotel, Bur Dubai, said the institute.
Among the passengers stranded at the Dubai Airport was two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, who said there was an explosion near the airport on Sunday morning (March 1). “A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport. My coach had to quickly run out of the area as he was closest to the smoke and debris. It was an extremely tense and scary moment for all of us. We are all safe now and have been moved to a more secure place,” she said in a post on X on Sunday morning (March 1).
Stuck in Karachi
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office (CMO) confirmed that three Keralites of a family were among eight Indians stranded in Karachi of Pakistan after diversion of aircraft due to the conflict. The CMO identified them as Krishnadas Nagallur (Palakkad), his wife, Dr. Rashmi Menon (Ernakulam), and their daughter, Smriti Menon (aged three). The family was on an Air Arabia flight from Baku, Azerbaijan to Kuwait via Sharjah when air controllers diverted the plane to Karachi.
Flight services hit
While arrivals from West Asian countries continued through the morning in Hyderabad, many passengers described a growing sense of unease during their journeys. Abrar, a resident of Shaikpet in the city, said he had travelled from Madinah in Saudi Arabia to Jeddah before boarding a direct flight to Hyderabad on Saturday (February 28). “There was not much tension when we boarded the flight on Saturday. Mid-flight, an announcement was made saying that some tensions were ongoing and that those with connecting flights could check with their airline after landing in Hyderabad,” he said.
According to information provided by airport authorities, a total of 48 flights to and from Hyderabad were cancelled on March 1. These included 25 departures and 23 arrivals, spread across multiple destinations, including Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait, Muscat, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Medina, Ras Al Khaimah, Bahrain, and Dhaka. IndiGo accounted for the highest number of cancellations, with 33 flights affected. Other airlines impacted included Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, and Oman Air.
Published – March 01, 2026 11:32 pm IST
