Basketball players from Lokomotiv Kuban cannot return to Russia from Qatar and the UAE

The players of the Lokomotiv Kuban basketball club Vince Hunter, Alain Hadzhibegovic and Jeremiah Martin are temporarily unable to return to Russia due to the closure of airspace in connection with the escalation in the Middle East. This was announced on March 1 by the club's press service.

It is specified that Hadzhibegovic is in Qatar, where he was supposed to take part in the World Cup qualification match on March 2. However, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) decided to postpone the meeting, and Hunter and Martin spent the weekend with their families in Dubai and planned to fly to Krasnodar the morning before.

"Currently, the airspace in the Middle East is closed. The club is in touch with the players and is working on possible options for their safe return to Krasnodar," the Telegram channel said.

The East is a big deal: Iran's response has upset the plans of the United States and Israel

The Islamic Republic proved to be more stable than the Pentagon and the IDF had hoped.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Iran. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, called her goal "the protection of the American people."

In response, Iran launched Operation True Promise 4 and attacked American military bases in the Middle East, as well as Israeli cities. The UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman and other Persian Gulf countries were affected by the Iranian attacks. Later, on March 1, it became known that the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Israeli attacks, national mourning was declared in the country and an interim governing council was established.

Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace on February 28. Later, the Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority announced the temporary closure of the airspace. In addition, flights were banned over Syria. Airports in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, suspended operations indefinitely later that day due to the escalating conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran. Aeroflot cancelled all its flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi at that time. This measure was extended until March 3.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.