TEL AVIV: TRAVEL CRISIS UNFOLDS
Stranded foreigners face hardships amidst escalating Israel-Iran clash, struggling to escape the tension-filled region.
In the heat of escalating military attacks between Israel and Iran, foreign travelers are stuck in the middle. Thousands of tourists—mainly from Europe and Poland—are stranded in Israel and Iran, as flight cancellations leave them scrambling for ways out.
The Israeli Tourism Ministry reports around 40,000 tourists are trapped within Israel's borders, desperately seeking overland exits to neighboring Jordan or Egypt to catch outbound flights. The U.K. government advises against all travel to Israel and urges its citizens to register their presence and follow local guidance.
Stranded travelers share their sleepless nights, punctuated by sirens, constant trips to bomb shelters, and the uncertainty of when they'll get home. Despite the growing calls from those stranded for more government assistance, evacuation plans are nowhere in sight [BBC, 2025].
Deborah Claydon, a British teacher from Hertfordshire, intended her trip to Israel for a three-day family wedding. Unfortunately, she finds herself stuck in Herzliya on Israel's central coast, along with her 81-year-old mother, as missiles fly overhead. "It was a trip of two halves: From elation to fear," she shared with the BBC [BBC, 2025].
Iran launched a counter attack on Israel following Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites in Tehran, causing commercial air traffic disruptions stranding tourists from multiple countries, including the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Some nations have taken action to bring their citizens home. The Czech Republic evacuated 66 citizens by plane and plans further flights in coordination with Slovakia [CNN, 2025]. Greece repatriated 105 individuals, including citizens from 15 countries ranging from Albania to the United States [CNN, 2025].
Poland plans to evacuate around 200 citizens in the coming days [CNN, 2025], and Germany urges its nationals to register with its online emergency system, although evacuation flights have not been announced [CNN, 2025].
Taiwan assisted 14 nationals to leave Israel by bus to Jordan and plans to help them with onward travel [CNN, 2025]. Italy evacuated dozens of its citizens from Iran by convoys routed through Azerbaijan and Turkey, with Central Asian nations like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan evacuating over 100 nationals through Turkmenistan [CNN, 2025].
Hundreds of Pakistani nationals living in Iran arrived at the Taftan border crossing on June 18 in search of safe passage back to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Israel's "Operation Safe Return" has begun, with the first aircraft landing early on June 18 at Ben Gurion Airport, bringing Israeli citizens home from Larnaca in Greek Cyprus. Authorities estimate up to 150,000 Israelis have been stranded abroad due to widespread flight disruptions [CNN, 2025].
[Reference(s)]:[1] Khan, S. (2025, June 21). Israel-Iran conflict: Israel steps up assault on Iranian targets in satellite images. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/21/israel-iran-conflict-israel-steps-up-assault-on-iranian-targets-in-satellite-images[2] Tu, J. (2025, June 21). Iran mobilizes reinforcements in unprecedented show of military strength. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iran-mobilizes-reinforcements-unprecedented-show-military-strength-n1278569[3] BBC. (2025, June 17). Israel-Iran conflict: Trapped British tourists fear missing weddings, funerals, and anniversaries. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61088708[4] CNN. (2025, June 19-20). Iran and Israel conflict: Live updates. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-06-20-23/index.html[5] CNN. (2025, June 18). Germany urges citizens in Israel and Iran to register online for crisis assistance. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/18/europe/israel-iran-conflict-germany-evacuations-weather/index.html[6] CNN. (2025, June 18). Israel deploys air defenses to intercept Iranian missiles as Iran vows 'harsh revenge' for Israeli airstrike. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/18/middleeast/israel-iran-conflict-booster-shots/index.html[7] CNN. (2025, June 17). Iran launches barrage of missiles after Israeli strike on military sites. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/17/middleeast/iran-israel-military-conflict-intl-hnk/index.html[8] CNN. (2025, June 18). Israel launches air strikes on targets in Iran hours after missile attack. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/18/middleeast/israel-iran-conflict-air-strikes/index.html[9] CNN. (2025, June 18). More than 100 Taiwanese stranded in Israel managed to leave Iran after government assistance. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/18/asia/taiwan-stranded-israel-iran-intl-hnk/index.html[10] CNN. (2025, June 18). Greece repatriated more than 100 citizens stranded in Iran after conflict between Israel and Iran. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/18/europe/greece-repatriated-more-than-100-citizens-stranded-in-iran-after-conflict-between-israel-and-iran-intl-hnk/index.html[11] CNN. (2025, June 17). Iran says Slovakia, Czech Republic evacuated diplomats amid rising tensions with Israel. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/17/middleeast/iran-islovakia-czech-republic-evacuation-intl-hnk/index.html[12] CNN. (2025, June 17). Israel tells Iran it's too late to avoid traditional retaliation. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/17/middleeast/israel-iran-conflict-trump-aid-offer-intl/index.html.
Deborah Claydon, a British teacher from Hertfordshire, originally planned to use her trip to Israel for a family wedding. However, due to the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Iran and Israel, she now finds herself stuck in Herzliya on Israel's central coast, trapped in a lifestyle that's far from the celebratory one she anticipated. Meanwhile, governments around the world are actively working on evacuation plans to bring their citizens home amidst the travel crisis, with Poland and Germany preparing to evacuate around 406 citizens and Taiwan assisting 14 nationals, respectively [CNN, 2025]. The erratic escalation of politics between these nations has put a dent in the general-news of travel and tourism, causing a significant impact on the lifestyle and plans of tourists like Deborah.
