Qatar closes airspace amid threats of Iranian retaliation against US; Diverts incoming flights
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Qatar on Monday temporarily suspended all air traffic in its airspace, citing safety concerns for its citizens, residents, and visitors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, following rising tensions in the region and threats of Iranian retaliation against the United States.In a statement released via its official social media account, the Ministry said, 'The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace out of concern for the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.'Moreover, flight tracking platform Flightradar24 said that inbound flights to Doha's Hamad International Airport began diverting to alternate airports on Monday afternoon.The move comes amid an escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, which has drawn in broader regional and international actors following recent US airstrikes on Iranian targets.Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base , a key area for US forces in the region, and also hosts Qatar Airways , one of the region's busiest international carriers.Qatar described the closure as 'temporary,' but provided no further details on the nature of the threat or when normal air traffic operations would resume.(More to come)
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