Preparations for this week's Formula One grand prix in Melbourne are going ahead as planned as international sport scrambles to ameliorate the impact of the latest eruption in the Middle East.
The closure of air space has left many athletes, coaches and staff across different sports - like former Socceroos boss and current Iraq coach Graham Arnold and tennis players Jason Kubler, Cruz Hewitt and James McCabe - stranded.
A British Airways plane, which stopped in Singapore, and an Air X flight via Tanzania, carried staff from 10 of the grid's 11 teams plus F1 officials to Australia, which hosts the opening race of the season on Sunday.
Around a quarter of the approximately 2000 people who work at every F1 race had been due to travel to the Albert Park race via Gulf travel hubs Doha and Dubai.
Despite the disruption, F1 bosses are confident the race will go ahead with the first practice session due Friday morning.
The races in Shanghai (March 15) and Japan (March 29) should be fine too but the following grand prix, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on April 12 and April 19 respectively, are in jeopardy with F1 "closely monitoring" the situation.
Iraq's national soccer team confirmed Arnold was stuck in the UAE ahead of their World Cup qualifying play-off against either Bolivia or Suriname, to be held in Monterrey, Mexico on March 31.
Iraq's FA remains in dialogue with FIFA and the AFC regarding arrangements for their participation.
"Because of airspace closures, our head coach, Graham Arnold, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates," Iraq said in a statement.
"In addition, several embassies remain closed at the present time, preventing several professional players, technical and medical staff members from obtaining entry visas to Mexico."
In the UAE, players were forced to evacuate the court during an ATP Challenger event after a drone attack on a nearby oil terminal.
The tournament, due to feature Aussies Kubler, Hewitt and McCabe, has now been cancelled.
Tennis Australia are in constant communication with the trio who are safe, and, like other athletes in the area, working to leave.
There are also travel difficulties for athletes heading to the Winter Paralympics, which start on Friday in Italy. The International Paralympic Committee says most teams are already in Europe for training and it's helping out others with travel.
Qatar suspended all soccer games until further notice on Sunday while this and next week's Asian Champions League Elite west region knock-out ties were also postponed.
Squad and staff from the England Lions, England's second-strong cricket team, have returned safely to the UK after their series against Pakistani equivalents in Abu Dhabi was scrapped.
With agencies.
