All the information about the current tensions between USA/Israel-Iran:
- Our general approach.
- The official approach from certain hotels or suppliers.
- Information to be added as it comes.
Contents
- Overview
- General approach
- Revolut agreement
- Agoda (until Friday 20th March, 2026)
- Hilton (until Tuesday 31st March, 2026)
- Hotel Trader
- Booking.com (until Friday 17th April, 2026)
- Hotelbeds
- Accor (until Thursday 30th April, 2026)
Overview
On Saturday 28th February, 2026, Israel and the United States launched joint airstrikes on Iran, killing the supreme leader of Iran and many other Iranian officials, starting a war with the goal of regime change.
General approach - Client is requesting free cancellation
In case that the client is seeking free cancellation of. booking due to Force Majeure, please ask them for proof in the form of the cancellation of the flights (they should already be requesting this from the end-customer).
Please seek free cancellation with the hotel and/or provider, as usual. Due to the issues on the ground, you may get a faster answer from the provider instead of the property.
In case you cannot reach the hotel or provider and you already have the proof of the cancellation of the flight and it falls within the below date range and impacted area, go ahead and cancel the booking FOC and follow up with the hotel/provider afterwards.
In case we do not have proof of the cancellation of flight from the client, we will need to hotel/provider's approval as usual.
Date range: Saturday 28th February - Sunday 8th March included (we will monitor this closely and extent if needed).
Impacted area:
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Israel
- Bahrain
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
We will add more information as it comes
Revolut agreement and approach
Please read and follow the below guidelines that we have agreed with Revolut as of Wednesday 1st April
If the booking was made after 28th February, 2026, we need to follow the normal steps of asking the hotel/provider since customers would be aware of the war before booking.
While we initially agreed to receive proof of flight cancellations, we understand that not all customers have purchased flight tickets, and some only have hotel bookings. In such cases, we will have to see whether Force Majeure is still considered applicable in the destination area by our suppliers. Each case will therefore be reviewed individually.
2. Refund approvals from properties
Given the situation keeps on evolving, we keep in touch closely with our suppliers in order to see if they extend the force majeure or not. In the event that we know a supplier has already communicated that the force majeure is still in place, we'll refund the booking and follow up with the hotel/supplier.
3. Government travel warnings
Official government advisories can be considered a valid supporting reason for escalation. We recommend that agents include links or references to these official warnings when submitting cases, as this helps strengthen the request and facilitates faster review. For those cases, we will have to check with the hotel/suppliers if they would accept a waiver/date modification.
4. SLA breaches and process optimization
We recognize the importance of meeting the 72-hour SLA. To improve turnaround times, we suggest:
- For the cases for which we know the supplier has the force majeure in place, we'll refund the guest so no waiting time on your side
- Ensuring complete documentation is provided at the time of escalation by the team so we can follow the initial process for the waiver requests.
Flight cancellation evidence
- Valid evidence of the cancellation of the flight including:
- The guest's full name
- The reason the flight was cancelled
Agoda
Tl;dr
Agoda reserves the right to allow the customer to cancel without penalty:
- Dates: 28th February - 20th March, 2026
- Impacted countries: Customers travelling to and within, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Israel and Bahrain
"Dear Valued Partner,
United States of America–Iran Tensions
We have been closely monitoring the evolving situation pertaining to the United States of America–Iran tensions and the latest official travel advice to assess the impact on our customers and partners. At present, travel from, to and within Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Israel and Bahrain have been severely impacted by air space closure. Please note that if any other countries are subsequently added to the impacted list, the policy described below will apply equally. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update you as we know more.
To safeguard our customers and partners, in light of this latest official announcement, we have updated our cancellation policy for customers as follows:
Agoda’s Cancellation Policy for Customers Travelling to and Within Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Israel and Bahrain.
This event is considered a “force majeure” event, and as such Agoda reserves the right to allow the customers to cancel without penalty, as stated under the terms and conditions of our agreement.
Force majeure is applicable to all bookings made at properties that are located in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Israel and Bahrain, as well as any other country subsequently added to the impacted list, with check-in dates between February 28, 2026, and March 20, 2026. Please note that the impacted check-in period may be expanded, if applicable, should the triggering force majeure event continue. Customers submitting cancellation requests to Agoda during this force majeure period will receive a refund of any prepayment and/or a waiver of cancellation costs.
If you are aware that any of your contracted properties are closed due to this event, please ensure the relevant properties update availability accordingly (e.g., via the applicable extranet/channel manager). Alternatively, you may notify us by reaching out to tpscommercial.svc@agoda.com so that we can cancel all impacted bookings.
By working together, we can help to ensure the safety of all customers and each other.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding,
Agoda"
Hilton
(Last updated on Monday 9th March, 2026)
Latest updated - Check-in dates extended to Tuesday 31st March apart from Cyprus and Egypt.
"When severe weather or uncontrollable events impact travel, Hilton issues cancellation waivers to make the travel process less stressful for our guests. It will be necessary to contact the hotel directly for Advance Purchase/Non-Refundable reservations.
The following modification and cancellation penalty waivers have been issued:
Event advisory: Middle East Unrest - Middle East
Affected area:
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Israel
- Bahrain
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Egypt (only until 8th March)
- Saudi Arabia
- Cyprus (only until 15th March)
Waiver is for all guests, traveling to, from or through the affected areas.
Impacted Arrival Date
February 28th - March 31st, 2026
Hotel Trader
We are closely monitoring the ongoing airspace closures in parts of the Middle East and the resulting impact on travel operations. Our priority remains traveler safety and operational clarity across our network.
Immediate Guidance:
If guests currently in destination are unable to depart as scheduled, please liaise directly with the Hotel via standard Hotel Trader workflows to arrange extensions.
Upcoming Bookings
We anticipate increased cancellations and amendments.
- Continue processing all changes through standard connectivity flows.
- Where force majeure applies, Hotels are being encouraged to take a commercially reasonable approach; however, existing contractual terms remain in effect.
Refunds & Payments
- Wallet-funded bookings will follow standard Hotel Trader refund procedures.
- Direct-bill bookings remain subject to agreed payment terms unless otherwise confirmed.
- We recommend proactive communication with end customers to manage expectations.
Operational Discipline
To ensure stability during this period:
- Avoid speculative re-bookings.
- Do not submit duplicate cancellation requests.
- Quote booking references clearly in all correspondence.
We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as required.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
The Hotel Trader Team
Booking.com
(Last updated on Friday 4th March, 2026)
this message is to update on the extension of Force Majeure in light of the continued crisis in the Middle East (NOTE: now includes outbound travel):
4th April
Force Majeure has been extended until and including 17 April 2026 for the entirety of countries covered so far, with the exception of Saudi Arabia where only some regions are subject to inbound Force Majeure.
Additionally, outbound Force Majeure has been invoked for travel from and via countries with (partially) closed airspace.
INBOUND travel
FM has been extended as follows:
Accommodation location:
- Entire countries: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar
- High-risk areas: Saudi Arabia (partially covered from 7 March onward, as per impact map)
- Check-in: 28 February - 13 March 2026 (inclusive)
- Check-out: any / not relevant
- Reservation made/booked: before 28 February 2026
- Reservation status: active and/or cancelled on or after 28 February 2026
OUTBOUND travel
FM has been invoked for travellers having to leave the countries below to get to their destination, including transit passengers who currently cannot leave these countries.
- Traveller location: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
- Transit countries: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia *
- Accommodation location: anywhere in the world
- Check-in: 28 February - 13 March 2026 (inclusive)
- Check-out: any / not relevant
- Reservation made/booked: before 28 February 2026
- Reservation status: active and/or cancelled on or after 28 February 2026
Hotelbeds
(Communicated on Friday 13th March)
Dear valued partner,
As the situation in the Middle East evolves and airspace closures impact travel, we remain fully committed to supporting you and your travellers.
Our operational teams are working closely with partners to manage affected bookings with efficiency and precision, and this support will continue in the coming weeks.
- Force Majeure has been activated and continues to be in place for any bookings created before start of the events (before 1 March 2026). We continue to monitor as the situation in the region evolves.
- However, please note for bookings newly created on or after 1 March 2026 to destinations affected by the situation, and related airspace closures, our standard terms and conditions will apply.
- If your imminent bookings are impacted by restrictions or operational constraints in the affected destinations, please manage the booking prior to arrival and contact our operational teams for guidance on next steps.
- To get your request resolved as quickly as possible please raise a ticket directly from the booking or via the Support section of our website. Alternatively, you may also email our Customer Service teams using the contact details listed in the Support section.
- When submitting your request, kindly include any relevant supporting documents—such as proof of flight cancellations for itineraries affected by airspace closures—so our team can review and assist you promptly.
To safeguard your customers, we strongly recommend for new reservations to this region that travellers select flexible rates that allow for cancellation and amendment, which is stipulated at the time of booking.
This step will help protect travellers in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment.
Please be aware that the situation remains fluid. We are monitoring developments closely and will adapt our approach as necessary should there be any significant escalation in severity or geographic scope.
For questions or specific support, our customer service teams are ready to assist you. To ensure prompt assistance, please refer to the official customer support contacts available in the Support section of our booking engine.
Best regards,
Your HBX Group Team
Accor (Chain)
Dated Friday 27th March, 2026
Dear Partners,
Please note the exceptional cancellation policy has been extended to April 30th only for hotels in the Middle East region that are directly affected by the conflict.
For more details, please refer to the below:
For hotels located in MEA & Israël: guests travelling to or transiting through the impacted countries (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates), who have booked a non-cancellable, non-refundable reservation prior to and including February 28th, for arrivals until April 30th (included) and who are restricted from traveling due to airport closures and transit disruptions, may cancel and obtain a refund, or modify* their reservation for a later date without penalty.
Any other hotel worldwide: guests residing in or transiting through the impacted countries (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates), who have booked a non-cancellable, non-refundable reservation whose arrival is scheduled between February 28th until March 31st (included), and who are restricted from travelling, may cancel and obtain a refund, or modify* their reservation for a later date without penalty.
Article created on Monday 2nd March, 2026
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