JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (WVLT) – Several students and faculty from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City are stranded abroad after a major strike by Israel and the United States on Iran, university officials said.
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The attack on Saturday prompted much of the air travel in the Middle East to be shut down, leaving hundreds of thousands travelers stranded.
Among those stranded in Israel is a group of students and faculty from Carson-Newman, according to Kevin Triplett, the senior VP of university relations.
Triplett said the group was on a dig as a part of the university’s archeology program.
“Our president has spoken with members of the group multiple times over the last couple of days as well as parents of the students back here in the U.S.,” Triplett said.
The group is safe in Jerusalem and remains in good spirits, Triplett said. He added that plans are being made to get them back home.
Airspace or airports in Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are closed, according to flight tracking sites and government agencies.
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In total, more than 1,800 flights were canceled Sunday to airports across the Middle East, and cancellations are expected to extend into next week.
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