The ongoing war in Iran is creating challenges for Gulf carriers who have built their businesses on large hubs in the region to connect opposite sides of the globe. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are major stopover airports for passengers traveling to Southeast Asia, India, or Australia from the United States and Europe. As large portions of the Persian Gulf's airspace continue to close on and off, millions of passengers face a grim calculus: more hours in the sky, fewer options, and sharply higher fares. Middle Eastern airlines are some of the most profitable airlines in the world thanks to cheaper fuel costs and a focus on premium, long-haul trips through connections in their gleaming airports conveniently situated between East and West. But the US’ and Israel’s war with Iran has all but crippled their operations as missile strikes force neighboring nations like the UAE and Qatar to temporarily close their airspace and suspend flights—and the ripple effects are being felt far beyond Iran.…