European Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s two-day trip to the Middle East could turn into a much longer stay.
Metsola remained on the ground in the United Arab Emirates Monday evening as the region’s airspace was shut down amid escalating violence related to Iran.
Metsola had been in Abu Dhabi for meetings with lawmakers from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Arab Emirates. But her planned Tuesday departure has been thrown into question by moves to close the skies above the UAE, Qatar and other countries in the region following reports that Iran is responding to Washington’s weekend attacks on its nuclear facilities.
“She is scheduled to return to Brussels tomorrow,” Metsola’s office told POLITICO. “We are monitoring the situation and remain in close contact with national authorities.”
Iran fired missiles at American military bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday, CNN reported citing U.S. officials. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other countries in the region have temporarily shut down their airspace, according to Reuters and other media.
Metsola’s visit to the region had been planned ahead of the recent Israeli and American strikes against Iran. “In today’s evolving security landscape, we face common challenges that call for deeper collaboration,” she told the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Metsola is scheduled to meet with billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday afternoon in Brussels — if she can make it back.
The post Metsola stranded as UAE closes airspace appeared first on Politico.
