“It is a constant battle of where to take people. It’s working out which country they can go to while also managing the puzzle of nationalities and visa restrictions.”

As evacuation demand surged across the Middle East, NewsNation spoke with Global Guardian Deputy Vice President of Operations Colin O’Brien about the logistical challenges teams are navigating to move travelers and corporate personnel out of the region.

O’Brien explained that constantly shifting airspace closures, visa requirements, and nationality restrictions make evacuation planning a complex, real-time process as Global Guardian works to relocate clients from high-risk areas to safer locations.

Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader on 08 March after the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the conflict. Mojtaba is seen as a hardliner who is unlikely to negotiate with the U.S. He had previously served in Iran's armed forces and fought in the Iran–Iraq war. Israel's defense minister said last week that whoever was chosen as Ali Khamenei's successor would be "an unequivocal target for elimination." U.S. President Donald Trump said that anyone selected to lead Iran without their approval would "not last long."

In an apparent escalation of targets, Iran accused the U.S. of striking Iran's freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, 07 March. Iran retaliated in kind by causing "material damage" to one of Bahrain's desalination plants the following day. Targeting of such critical infrastructure could endanger every resident in impacted areas and increases the chance of Gulf states officially entering the conflict against Iran.

On 08 March, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family from Saudi Arabia, indicating it anticipates further targeting. It also ordered the departure of non-emergency staff and family from the U.S. Consulate in Adana, Turkey, and urged citizens in southeastern Turkey to leave amid increased threat from Iran. Incirlik Air Base is near Adana and is a major joint U.S.–Turkish base. This comes after Turkey announced it would deploy six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to Turkish-administered Northern Cyprus.

Conflicting statements and denials of attacks out of Iran indicate their Command and Control (C2) structure remains disrupted, with IRGC commanders and missile and drone outposts operating off a pre-determined targeting program, and not with direct approval from current leadership.

The U.S., UK, France, Germany, Canada, and other countries are ramping up their evacuation operations and preparations in the region but continue to deal with disruptions. An Air France plane heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to pick up stranded French citizens was forced to turn back amid Iranian missile fire. The U.S. claims to have moved nearly 20,000 people out of the region. The UK, France, and Germany are preparing to possibly evacuate 100,000, 400,000, and 30,000 citizens, respectively.

Airspace remains closed in much of the region; however, commercial flights out of the UAE are gradually coming back online as the country operates a reduced flight schedule, with departures occurring only when deemed safe amid ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks. In the past 24 hours, approximately 400 commercial flights (previously cancelled services and repatriation flights) have taken place.

Separately, energy prices are elevated as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, said in an interview with the Financial Times that crude oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel within the next two to three weeks if the current regional conflict persists.

The conflict continues to expand horizontally as two Iranian drones struck Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave. According to local officials, one drone hit a terminal building at Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ), about 6 miles from the Iranian border, while another landed near a school in a nearby village, with the injured reported in stable condition. Azerbaijan's President Aliyev says his country will not participate in offensive operations against Iran, though this incident comes after Azerbaijan canceled military leave and deployed troops to the border.

Meanwhile, the Israel–Lebanon front is expanding. Hezbollah has increased the volume and pace of its attacks on Israel, especially in the north. Israel is advancing in southern Lebanon, and the first direct ground clashes were reported on 04 March.

Energy remains the focal point of the conflict. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed (90% reduction in transit), supply storage is nearing capacity in Iraq. In approximately one week, if present conditions continue, Iraq will need to halt oil production. Two more tankers were attacked over the last 24 hours off the coast of Iraq and Oman. Qatar is fully shutting down their liquid natural gas operations. It’s estimated that it would take about two weeks to restart operations, and at least two more weeks to return to full capacity.

“When Saturday morning occurred and the first missiles were fired, our teams were immediately activated.”

As governments and private organizations worked to move people out of the Middle East amid ongoing missile and drone attacks, Global Guardian Deputy Vice President of Operations Colin O’Brien joined NewsNation to discuss how evacuation operations are unfolding across the region.

O’Brien explained that Global Guardian teams began moving clients across land borders into safer locations, noting that restricted airspace and shifting visa requirements continue to complicate evacuation routes.