The ICC has said it is monitoring the “evolving situation” in the Middle East and has “activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders” at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

On Saturday morning, the US and Israel exchanged missile strikes with Iran, leading to the closure of airspace over several countries in the Middle East, disrupting air travel to the region and also internationally, with several airlines having to cancel flights or change routes.

“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel – including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff – rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event,” the ICC said in a statement.

“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated.”

The 2026 T20 World Cup is approaching its final stages, with the last Super Eight games on Sunday followed by the semi-finals on March 4 and 5, and the final on March 8.

(Cricinfo)

The United States and Israel have launched an attack on Iran,  with explosions heard and seen across Tehran.

Several missiles have struck University Street and the Jomhouri area in Tehran, Fars news agency reported. Smoke was seen rising in the city, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed Israel launched the missile attack in order to “remove threats to the State of Israel”.

A United States official told Al Jazeera that the attacks were carried out as a joint military operation between Israel and the US, which has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear programme.

The Associated Press news agency reported that the strike in Iran’s capital happened near offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to an official cited by Reuters, Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that explosions also occurred in Tehran’s northern Seyyed Khandan area.

As sirens sounded and a state of emergency declared in Israel, the Israeli military said it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”

Israel’s Airports Authority announced airspace had been closed to all civilian flights and urged the public not to come to the airport.

Meanwhile, the ⁠US Embassy in Qatar ⁠implemented shelter-in-place for ⁠all personnel, recommending that all of ‌its citizens to do the same until further notice.

Reuters cited an Israeli deence official as saying the attacks had been planned for months ⁠and the ⁠launch date ⁠was decided ⁠weeks ago.

[Aljazeera]