United and Delta passengers faced flights to nowhere as Israeli strikes on Iran led to dozens of cancellations and diversions

• Israeli attacks on Iran caused dozens of flight cancellations and diversions.
• Flights by both United and Delta from New York to Israel turned around over the Atlantic.
• Air India said it had diverted 16 flights, while Emirates and Qatar Airways both canceled flights.

Dozens of flights around Asia and the Middle East were diverted or canceled on Friday after Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

The Israeli military struck targets in Iran early on Friday, marking a significant escalation, which has drawn a retaliation campaign from the country.

Iran sent 100 drones to Israel following the attacks, and a spokesperson for its armed forces warned Israel would pay a "heavy price" for the strikes.

The strikes forced thousands of passengers to change of plans after airspace over Iran, Israel, and Iraq was closed, and airlines avoided flying anywhere near the area.

According to Flightradar24, flights within Iranian airspace either avoided the capital city of Tehran, where Iran's nuclear facilities are located, and continued their transit or diverted out of the country.

Later, flights planned to pass through Iran were held or diverted. Flights also diverted from Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion in the city of Tel Aviv, per the flight tracking platform.

Flights operated by both United and Delta from New York to Tel Aviv late Thursday turned around over the Atlantic after the strikes began, Flightradar data showed.

Delta and United did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Air India announced in a post on X that 16 flights were diverted or returned to their origin airports at the time of the strikes, citing "the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers."

The airline said it was trying to minimize customers' inconvenience by providing accommodation, offering refunds, complimentary rescheduling, or alternative arrangements.

Emirates and Qatar Airways both canceled and diverted flights.

"Qatar Airways has temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to current situation in the region," it wrote in a post on X.

A video posted on FlightRadar's social media showed Iranian and Iraqi airspace clearing out in the early hours of Friday morning.

Shares in several airlines dipped on Friday, driven by a combination of the strikes and the fallout from Thursday's Air India Boeing 787 crash.

International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, Vueling, and Iberia, declined 4%. Air France-KLM is down nearly 4%.