Dutch Foreign Ministry receives 1,000 calls from Dutch nationals in Middle East

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received about 1,000 information requests from Dutch nationals in the Middle East following military strikes on Iran by Israel and the United States and subsequent Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region.

The ministry said callers included people worried about their personal safety as well as others seeking information on options to leave the region. A spokesperson said the ministry has scaled up its contact center to handle the volume of requests.

“From The Hague and all posts in the region, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran, Israel, and the wider region,” the spokesperson said. “We advise Dutch nationals in the region to stay indoors for now and avoid crowded places and potential targets.”

The ministry also urged people to register with its travel information service to receive updates, follow instructions from local authorities, and inform family or friends of their situation. The spokesperson advised reaching the Foreign Affairs crisis team at +31 247 247 247 in emergencies.

Meanwhile, travelers stranded because of closed airspace—including in Dubai, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—have little choice but to wait in hotels, according to a spokesperson for KLM. “When it is possible, we will bring them out,” the spokesperson said. “But right now we can do nothing,” the spokesperson told RTL. How long the situation will last remains unclear. “We depend on the authorities."

Dutch travelers with connecting flights through the Gulf region are also stuck in other parts of the world, including Asia, according to the Algemene Nederlandse Vereniging van Reisondernemingen. The organization said options are being explored to rebook passengers via alternative routes, such as transfers through China or Turkey, or overland travel. Travelers stranded in the Verenigde Arabische Emiraten may be able to travel by land to Oman, where the airport in the capital, Masqat, remains open.

Dozens of KLM pilots and flight attendants are also stranded at various locations, the airline said. “They too are dealing with questions and uncertainty,” the spokesperson said. “They are also a focus of our attention.”

The Foreign Ministry said it is too early to consider repatriation or evacuation. “That depends on many factors,” the spokesperson said. The ministry has been operating under a crisis structure since yesterday morning, with all scenarios under review.