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Persian Gulf

March 2, 2026

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently issued an urgent advisory, asking all Indian carriers to avoid flying through the West Asian and Persian Gulf airspace following escalating military tensions in the region.

About Persian Gulf:

  • It is a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean, located in Western Asia.
  • It is an extension of the Gulf of Oman and connects to the Indian Ocean via the Strait of Hormuz in the east.
  • It is also referred to as the Arabian Gulf or Gulf of Iran.
  • It lies between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran to the southwest and northeast, respectively.
  • Iran borders it from the north, east and northeast, while Oman and UAE surround it from the south and southeast.
  • It is surrounded by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain from the southwest and west and Iraq and Kuwait from the northwest.
  • To the west, it connects to a large river delta called Shatt al-Arab. Here, the waters from two major rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, flow into the Gulf.
  • It has a coastline length of about 5,117 km, with Iran having the longest coastline (1,536 km).
  • Islands:
    • There are several islands in the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, the Persian Gulf state. Bahrain comprises over 50 islands centered on Bahrain Island.
    • Qeshm Island is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, almost 2.5 times the size of Bahrain.
    • The area in and around the Persian Gulf holds the world's largest amounts of crude oil.
    • Al-Safaniya, the world's largest offshore oilfield, is located in the Persian Gulf.

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