Arabic version: إغلاق الأجواء يؤدي إلى توقف الرحلات بعد الضربات الأمريكية الإسرائيلية

A wave of United States and Israeli strikes on Iran has resulted in significant regional violence, prompting the closure of airspace across much of the Middle East. At least eight states, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, have declared their airspace closed. Syria has also announced it had closed part of its airspace in the south along its border with Israel for 12 hours.

According to Al Jazeera, the airspace shutdown comes in the wake of a US-Israeli attack that US President Donald Trump pledged would raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy. This offensive was met with a fierce response from Tehran, which has begun retaliatory strikes not only against Israel but also against several Gulf states hosting US military assets, including Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain.

In light of the escalating conflict, numerous global airlines have canceled or diverted flights to and from the Middle East, a region critical for air travel between Europe and Asia. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, and Qatar Airways have announced suspensions of their services in response to the conflict. Air India has opted to temporarily avoid the Middle East altogether.

The ongoing violence has created complex and intertwined conflicts in the region, as reported by Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem from Doha. This situation marks a significant escalation in instability, raising concerns about the potential for further regional fallout as all American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become legitimate targets, according to a senior Iranian official.