Airlines keep avoiding Middle East airspace after US attack on Iran
Days before the US strikes on Iran, American Airlines suspended flights to Qatar, and United Airlines did the same with flights to Dubai. (Wikimedia Commons pic)
JERUSALEM : Airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East today after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, with traffic already skirting airspace in the region due to recent missile exchanges.
'Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week,' FlightRadar24 said on social media platform X.
Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel. They have chosen other routings such as north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, even if it results in higher fuel and crew costs and longer flight times.
Missile and drone barrages in an expanding number of conflict zones globally represent a high risk to airline traffic.
Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information, said today that the US attacks on Iran may increase risks to US operators in the region.
'While there have been no specific threats made against civil aviation, Iran has previously warned it would retaliate by attacking US military interests in the Middle East – either directly or via proxies such as Hezbollah,' Safe Airspace said.
Since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, carriers have suspended flights to destinations in the affected countries, though there have been some evacuation flights from neighbouring nations and some bringing stranded Israelis home.
In the days before the US strikes on Iran, American Airlines suspended flights to Qatar, and United Airlines did the same with flights to Dubai.
Safe Airspace said it was possible airspace risks could now extend to countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
'We continue to advise a high degree of caution at this time,' it said.
Israel's largest carriers, El Al Israel Airlines, Arkia and Israir, said today they were suspending rescue flights that allowed people to return to Israel until further notice. El Al said it would also extend its cancellation of scheduled flights through June 27.
Israel's airports authority said the country's airspace was closed for all flights, but land crossings with Egypt and Jordan remained open.
Tens of thousands of Israelis and others who had booked tickets to Israel are stuck abroad.
At the same time, nearly 40,000 tourists in Israel are looking to leave the country, some of whom are going via Jordan's borders to Amman and others by boat to Cyprus.
The tourism ministry is trying to facilitate getting these people out.
Japan's foreign ministry said today it had evacuated 21 people, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran overland to Azerbaijan. It said it was the second such evacuation since Thursday and that it would conduct further evacuations if necessary.
New Zealand's government said today it would send a Hercules military transport plane to the Middle East on standby to evacuate New Zealanders from the region.
It said in a statement that government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft would leave Auckland on Monday. The plane would take some days to reach the region, it said.
The government was also in talks with commercial airlines to assess how they may be able to assist, it added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
39 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Israel strikes Tehran's Evin prison in largest attack yet; Iran warns US but holds fire — for now
'Viva la liberdad!' Israeli minister posts with video of blast at prison Iran threatens retaliation against US, no action taken yet Oil prices barely budge on first day after US joins war TEL AVIV, June 23 — Israel targeted Evin prison in Tehran today, one of the most potent symbols of Iran's governing system, in what Israel called the most intense bombing yet of the Iranian capital, a day after the United States joined the war by blasting nuclear sites. Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the United States. But it had yet to so in a meaningful way more than 24 hours after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on its underground nuclear sites, while US President Donald Trump openly mused about overthrowing the Iranian government. Oil prices barely budged on the first trading day after the US joined the war, suggesting traders doubted Iran would follow through on threats to disrupt oil supplies from the Gulf. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary confirmed that the prison had been hit. It said part of the building was damaged but the situation was under control. A video posted by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar on X showed an explosion at a building with a sign identifying it as an entrance to Evin prison in northern Tehran and the accompanying words: 'Viva la libertad!' — Spanish for 'Long live liberty.' Reuters could not immediately verify the video. Evin has been the primary prison for housing political detainees and security prisoners, notably since Iran's 1979 revolution, and the site of executions that remain potent symbols for the opposition. It is where several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz made clear that Israel was no longer limiting its attacks to its initial stated targets such as Iran's nuclear programme and missiles, and would go after the Tehran government's ability to maintain power. 'The IDF is currently striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran,' he said in a statement. There were conflicting reports on Iranian media about the full extent of strikes on Tehran, a city of 10 million people where much of the population has fled after 10 days of bombing. Tasnim news agency reported a strike at an electricity feeder station in the Evin neighbourhood. Power company Tavanir reported some areas in the capital saw electricity cuts. Iran's student news network reported that Shahid Beheshti University, one of the main universities in Tehran, had also been hit. The university's public relations office denied it. Limited options Since Trump joined Israel's campaign by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. But while it has continued to fire missiles at Israel, it has yet to take action against the United States itself, either by firing at US bases or by targeting the 20 per cent of global oil shipments that pass near its coast at the mouth of the Gulf. 'Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,' Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said today in English in a recorded video statement. Trump's administration has repeatedly said that its aim is solely to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, not to open a wider war. But in a social media post yesterday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 revolution. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' he wrote. Experts surveying commercial satellite imagery said it appeared that the US attack had severely damaged the site of Iran's Fordow nuclear plant, built inside a mountain. Trump called the strike a 'Bullseye!!!' 'Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran,' he wrote. More Israeli strikes Israel's airstrikes on Iran have met little resistance from Iranian defences since Israel launched its surprise attack on June 13, killing many of Iran's top commanders. In an apparent effort to limit panic, Iran has released few images of the damage since the initial days of the bombing. The internet has largely been down for days, making it difficult for information to circulate within Iran and abroad. The Israeli military said a missile launched from Iran early today had been intercepted by Israeli defences. Air raid sirens blared overnight in Tel Aviv and other parts of central Israel. But Iran's ability to retaliate is far more limited than a few months ago, since Israel inflicted defeat on Iran's most feared regional proxy force, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's most powerful client ruler, Syria's Bashar al-Assad, fell soon after. Iran's most effective threat to hurt the West would be to restrict global oil flows from the Gulf, but oil prices have not shot up to crisis levels. After briefly jumping above US$80 (RM343) a barrel at the open, Brent crude futures were up just 0.5 per cent to US$77.38 in this morning's trading, having even at one point even been down on the morning. Prices are still above the level before Israel started its attacks this month. Traders said even that premium could fade. 'It's worth noting that the current geopolitical risk premium — now exceeding US$10 per barrel — cannot be sustained for long without a tangible supply disruption,' said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank. Iranian lawmakers have discussed shutting the Strait of Hormuz that leads into the Gulf, though no decision has been taken. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio played down the threat. 'It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that,' he said. — Reuters
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Israel targeting Tehran's Evin prison, ‘agencies of repression': minister
JERUSALEM: Israel targeted Tehran's notorious Evin prison as well as the command centres of security agencies in Iran responsible for 'maintaining the regime's stability', a minister and the military said Monday. The Israeli military 'is carrying out strikes of unprecedented force against regime targets and agencies of government repression in the heart of Tehran', Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X as the Iran-Israel war raged for an 11th day. These included Evin prison -- 'which holds political prisoners and regime opponents' -- as well as the command centres of the domestic Basij militia and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, he added. In a separate statement, the military said that it was hitting command centres of security forces including the Revolutionary Guards, a wing of the Iranian military. 'These forces... are responsible on behalf of the Iranian regime's military for defending the homeland security, suppressing threats, and maintaining the regime's stability,' it said in a statement. Israel began its military campaign against Iran on June 13 with strikes on the country's nuclear and missile facilities, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as an 'existential' threat for his country. But the list of targets has widened since then, encompassing state television and the Iranian domestic security forces, raising speculation that Israel is seeking to topple Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Donald Trump hinted Sunday at interest in changing Iran's system of government, despite several of his administration officials earlier stressing that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites overnight on Saturday-Sunday did not have that goal. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. AFP journalists heard explosions in northern Tehran on Monday and Iran's Red Crescent reported a strike near its building in the area. Evin prison is often used to hold foreign nationals and Iranians that are seen by rights groups as political prisoners. Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been published, in what some Western governments describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions. The prison is a large, heavily fortified complex located in a northern district of the Iranian capital, and is notorious among activists for alleged rights abuses. At least three waves of incoming Iranian missiles were reported by the Israeli military on Monday. Katz, a hardliner in Netanyahu's government, added that 'for every rocket fired at Israel's home front, the Iranian dictator will be severely punished, and the attacks will continue with full force'.
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
No impact on Malaysians in Jordan following Iran-US strikes, says embassy
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — All Malaysian citizens in Jordan are well and unaffected by the attacks taking place in Iran early Sunday morning. In a statement, the Malaysian Embassy in Amman, Jordan, said the current situation in the country is stable and local authorities are tightening security measures to ensure public safety. The embassy said on its Facebook page that recent incidents of unknown debris falling in Amman and Azraq took place far away from the living quarters of Malaysian students. 'The embassy will continue to monitor the situation in Jordan and provide updates from time to time,' it said. For enquiries, the embassy can be reached via e-mail [email protected] or phone +962-6-5902400 (office hours) /+962785902400 (officer in charge). Hostilities between Israel and Iran came to a head on June 13 when Israel carried out unprovoked airstrikes on multiple locations across Iran, including its military and nuclear facilities. Tehran retaliated. On Sunday, the United States carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting global fear and condemnation. — Bernama
