Airspace closed, airlines halt flights as US, Israel attack, Iran responds

"At least eight states declared their airspace closed as the conflict erupted Saturday, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Syria also announced it had closed part of its airspace in the south along its border with Israel for 12 hours."

"The US and Israel carried out attacks across Iran that US President Donald Trump pledged would raze Iran's missile industry and destroy its navy. Iran, which had been engaged in negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme right up until the attack, pledged a harsh response and soon began waging retaliatory strikes."

"All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target, a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. There are no red lines after this aggression, and everything is possible."

"The disruption caused global airlines to cancel or divert flights from destinations across the Middle East, which has become an important route for flights between Europe and Asia, as Russian and Ukrainian airspace is closed to most airlines due to the war there."

A major escalation in US-Israeli military operations against Iran triggered widespread regional conflict and airspace closures across the Middle East. At least eight countries—Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE—shut down their airspace, with Syria partially closing southern airspace. The strikes targeted Iran's missile and naval capabilities, prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military assets. Iran declared all American and Israeli interests legitimate targets with no restrictions. The closures forced major global airlines including Air India, Lufthansa, Air France, and British Airways to cancel or divert flights, significantly impacting international travel between Europe and Asia, particularly critical given Russian and Ukrainian airspace restrictions.

Read at www.aljazeera.com