Iran has launched a number of drones and missiles at Israeli targets. It is not yet clear where they hit. Israel said on Saturday (April 13) that it could take several hours for Iranian drones to strike targets.
In this situation, Iraq and Jordan have announced the closure of their airspace. Israel is also going to close the airspace, the country’s Ministry of Transport said.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority has announced that the country’s airspace remains temporarily closed. No flights can take off or land. Transit will also be closed. The directive will be in effect from 11:30 pm local time to 5:30 am on Sunday (April 14).
The government of Iraq said that this precautionary measure of airspace closure was taken in the interest of civil aviation and the safety of citizens.
According to the authorities, the period of airspace closure may be extended if necessary subject to the assessment of the situation.
Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority has announced the temporary closure of the country’s airspace. State news agency Petra reported that they were on high alert due to Iranian attacks on neighboring Israel. The airspace will be closed for the next few hours from 11pm local time. The country will take the next decision after reviewing the situation.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport also announced the temporary closure of airspace.
A statement from the ministry said, this is a precautionary measure. This decision will be effective from 1 pm on Saturday to 7 am on Sunday local time. During this time, the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport will be completely closed to take off and landing.
Meanwhile, Israel will also close the airspace until 12:30 local time on Sunday, according to the country’s Ministry of Transport.
In accordance with security directives, international and domestic flights in the airspace of the State of Israel will be suspended from 1:30 p.m. on Saturday (April 13), a statement said.
A civilian shelter has been opened in the northern Israeli city of Haifa following reports of an Iranian attack.