Airlines have been cancelling or rerouting flights to and from the Middle East amid the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Qatar's Hamad International Airport airport, a critical hub in the region, temporarily halted operations on Monday before reopening.

Flights were temporarily paused at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as passengers were told to expect further delays and cancellations.

More than a dozen airlines cancelled flights to parts of the region after tension mounted in recent days.

On Monday, Qatar briefly closed its airspace before Iran fired missiles at a US military base in the country, in what it said was retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites over the weekend.

Air India said it was stopping all operations to the Middle East and flights to North America's east coast and Europe. Japan Airlines announced the cancellation of flights from Tokyo to Doha.

In recent years the Gulf region has become one of the world's busiest flight hubs.

The airports in Dubai and Doha see nearly 400,000 travellers pass through on a daily basis. Another 80,000 passengers travel through the UAE's other air hub, Abu Dhabi, every day.

For many, these airports are a stopover point for long-haul flights between Europe and Asia or Australia.

Hopes for an easing of tensions rose after US President Donald Trump announced on social media a "complete and total" ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Israel agreed to the proposal, but on Tuesday accused Iran of attacking it in violation of the ceasefire.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered "intense strikes" on Tehran, but Iran denied firing any missiles, and said it would respond to "any further aggression".