Within hours of the first strikes on Saturday, 28 February, retaliatory action from Tehran targeting major Gulf aviation hubs forced the closure of several airports across the region. Airlines based in the Gulf temporarily grounded fleets, resulting in a sudden withdrawal of a significant share of global cargo lift. According to analysis compiled by WorldACD Market Data, nearly half of all airfreight capacity originating in the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) was effectively stranded over the weekend, equivalent to roughly 15% of global air cargo capacity.

Although affected airports gradually resumed operations by mid-week and Gulf carriers began restoring schedules, the immediate disruption underscored the critical role that the MESA region plays as a bridge between Asian production centers and Western consumer markets.