The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) has no information that any Swedes have been injured since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, and Iran responded with attacks on several countries in the region.
"We are very concerned about the development. This is a very, very serious situation - and we don't know where it will go," Svante Liljegren told TT on Monday morning.
At least 4,200 stranded
Swedish travelers were caught off guard by the attack, which led to the closure of airspace in, among other places, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, affecting the hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
It is difficult to assess the direct danger to Swedes in the region. It is very important that you follow the advice and instructions of local authorities regarding safety and that you ensure the safety of yourself, your family and loved ones first and foremost.
The Foreign Ministry had expected that Iran would be able to respond to a possible attack.
But the fact that it is happening on this scale against so many countries, against what appear to be civilian targets - hotel buildings and other things - is a surprise to me personally.
More than 3,600 Swedes in Dubai and 600 in Doha are stranded and have registered on the Swedish list. Many are stuck elsewhere with planned stopovers in the hubs.
No buses
How the Swedes will get home - if the conflict continues for several weeks - is unclear.
At the moment there are no alternatives because the airspace is closed. It is important to be clear about that. But as the Foreign Minister has said, we are of course looking at how we can best help Swedes. I am not saying that we are planning any actions or operations, because we are not. But sooner or later the airspace will open, and then we expect that the airlines and tour operators will start flying their passengers home.
For example, busing Swedes to neighboring countries and flying them out is not "a realistic alternative."
The US has been ramping up its military presence in the region for several weeks. Despite this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held off on advising against travel.
The decisions to advise against must be made at exactly the right time. They must not come too early, because then they will not be followed. They must not come too late, because then they are ineffective.
It's always possible to be in hindsight, of course, and say that you should have done this much earlier. But I don't think the Swedes would have followed our advice if it had come, say, a couple of weeks earlier.
Gustav Sjöholm/TT
Facts: Thousands of flights canceled
TT
Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi are hubs for airline giants Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.
Between Saturday, February 28 and Monday, March 2, 7,306 flights were canceled at international airports, according to data from the Aerodatabox service, which is estimated to have affected over 1.5 million passengers.
The airspace is essentially empty over the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain, according to air traffic services.
