NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s seasoned wicketkeeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim has found himself stranded in Jeddah while returning from his Umrah pilgrimage, after US strikes on Iran triggered widespread disruption to flight operations across the region.
The United States and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran on Saturday, with American President Donald Trump urging the Iranian public to rise against the Islamic leadership that has been in power since 1979.
The military action resulted in the closure of airspace across parts of the Gulf, severely affecting multiple international carriers, including Emirates and Air India.
Rahim’s message from Jeddah
"...I came to macca for the umrah hajj couple of days back…had finish my hajj and heading back to Bangladesh via Dubai (emirates) today..," he wrote on his Facebook page.
"...we have flown this morning from jeddah to dubai via EK 0806 but unfortunately due to the war between USA, ISRAEL AND IRAN all the flight has return to Jeddah and now i am in jeddah airpot including thoushand of passengers…when and how we will able to go to Dhaka along with other Bangladeshi people."
Air India cancels Gulf services
Air India cancelled all its flights to and from the Gulf region, mainly to Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh and Tel Aviv, Israel, the airline said in a statement posted on X.
The 38-year-old Rahim has already retired from ODIs and T20Is. Over the course of his ODI career, he amassed 7,795 runs in 274 matches, registering nine centuries and 49 half centuries.
(With PTI Inputs)
