"middle ground"

#13385510

1 March 2026

Baggage of stranded Nepali migrant workers lies on the ground as they await news from airline companies at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on March 1, 2026, following the closure of airspace by Middle Eastern nations due to heightened tension between Israel and Iran. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali are working in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13368318

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368319

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368320

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368321

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368322

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368323

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368324

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368325

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368332

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13368333

24 February 2026

In Baharka, Erbil, Iraq, on February 24, 2026, Iraqi Kurdish Muslims gather to break their daily fast (Iftar) during the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Great Mosque of Baharka, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq. Worshippers and local community members sit on the ground, sharing a communal meal consisting of dates, lentil soup, and traditional bread following the sunset call to prayer (Maghrib). Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, prayer, and charity, where Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

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#13264654

1 February 2026

Iranian Army Ground Forces Officers arrive to take part in a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026,

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#13264656

1 February 2026

Cadets of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Officer Academy stand under a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while they take part in a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026,

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#13264659

1 February 2026

Cadets of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Officer Academy take part in a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026,

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#13264661

1 February 2026

Cadets of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Officer Academy take part in a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026,

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#13264662

1 February 2026

Cadets of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Officer Academy take part in a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026,

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