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Live sport on SN this weekendSports bosses 'closely monitoring' Middle East conflict
Ian Chadband, AAP • March 1st, 2026 3:24 pm
F1 bosses are monitoring conflict in the Middle East ahead of the season-opening race in Melbourne | Photo: James Ross/AAP
Formula One chiefs are among sports leaders "closely monitoring" the conflict in the Middle East ahead of the season's opening grand prix in Australia next week and upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Cricket and football organisations are also keeping a close eye on developments as missile strikes continued to rock the region on Saturday after US and Israeli forces attacked Iran, with Iranian retaliatory attacks reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and elsewhere.
Formula One's European-based teams were set to be heading to Melbourne for next weekend's season-opener via the Middle East, meaning an overhaul to their flights.
Next Sunday's race is expected to go ahead unaffected, but the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, the fourth and fifth rounds of the new campaign, are set for April 12 and 19.
Formula One will be watching developments closely with the Bahrain Grand Prix just six weeks away | Photo: AP
An F1 spokesperson said: "Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East - those races are not for a number of weeks.
"As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities."
Football's governing body FIFA also said on Saturday it was monitoring events just months before the start of World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico in June. Iran have qualified and are scheduled to play two matches in the US, in Los Angeles and Seattle.
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom told the International Football Association Board's annual meeting in Cardiff: "We had a meeting today and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world.
"We will continue to communicate as we always do with three host governments as we always do in any case. Everybody will be safe."
Iran players and staff celebrate after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in March, 2025 | Photo: EPA
A cricket match between England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens, scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, has been cancelled, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also reported.
"The safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority," the ECB said in a statement, adding that England women's planned trip to Abu Dhabi next week had been delayed.
Cricket's governing body (ICC), headquartered in Dubai, earlier said that they had activated contingency plans for their personnel, who were scheduled to transit through Dubai for onward travel to their home countries.
"We would also urge fans who have travelled ... to monitor closely and adhere to advisories being issued and consider all factors before undertaking any further international travel," an ICC spokesperson said in a statement.
