Hong Kong upgrades Iran, Israel travel alerts to ‘black’ amid Middle East war

2026-03-24 - 04:22

Hong Kong authorities have raised the travel alert for Iran and Israel to black – the highest level – signifying a “severe threat” amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. An excavator clears rubble from destroyed residential buildings in northern Tehran on March 23, 2026. Photo: AFP. “The black OTA [Outbound Travel Alert] signifies [a] severe threat. Due to the highly unpredictable security situation in Iran and Israel, the HKSAR Government advises Hong Kong residents to avoid all travel to Iran and Israel,” the authorities said in a statement on Monday. The government has also issued amber alerts for other Middle Eastern countries: Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the statement. Lebanon – a target of Israel’s strikes – has been placed on the black OTA list since September 2024. Israel and Iran were placed on red travel alerts on February 28, when the Middle East war began. Hong Kong residents who intend to visit the other Middle Eastern nations with amber alerts, or are already located there, should “exercise caution, attend to personal safety, pay attention to local announcements on the latest situation and notices on consular services from the local Chinese Embassies/Consulates-General,” the statement also said. The Security Bureau has also added supplementary information for Kuwait, which is not covered by Hong Kong’s travel alert system, reminding residents to exercise caution and attend to personal safety. Middle East war The ongoing military conflict was sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The initial strikes killed scores of people in Iran, among them Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at his compound in Tehran and at least 168 people, including 110 children, at a primary school in the country’s south. See also: Hong Kong to see ‘shocks, volatility’ in oil supply amid Middle East war, leader John Lee says Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeted not only Israel but also US military bases and energy facilities in the Gulf countries, including those with amber alerts. Two men walk past parked vehicles along a road as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. Photo: AFP. US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced a five-day pause to his threat to hit Iran’s energy infrastructure if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after what he called “productive conversations” between Washington and Tehran. Earlier that day, Trump had threatened to “hit and obliterate” the power plants unless it reopened the key maritime waterway within 48 hours. The Hong Kong government also said on Monday that the Security Bureau “will continue to closely monitor the situation of the relevant Middle East countries.” It urged Hong Kong residents in the area who need assistance to call the Immigration Department’s 24-hour hotline at +852 1868 or use its WhatsApp or WeChat hotline.