
UAE carriers suspend, reroute flights after Israel strikes Iran
UAE airlines have suspended and rerouted a number of flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran on Friday due to the temporary closure of airspace over Iran and Israel.
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and Iranian airspace have been closed until further notice after Israel launched attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military on Friday.
In a statement sent to ARN News, a flydubai spokesperson confirmed that its services have been impacted.
"Flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel have been suspended and a number of flights have been cancelled, rerouted or have returned to their destination of origin," the spokesperson added.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it has cancelled "select services to and from Tel Aviv on Friday, June 13, in response to ongoing regional developments".
Four flights to and from Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi stand delayed and two have been cancelled.
Airlines are "monitoring the situation in the region closely and adjusting flight schedules accordingly", with "safety of our passengers and crew... our top priority".
Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines or booking agents for regular updates.
Emirates Airline already have a suspension on flights to Tel Aviv.

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Middle East Eye
44 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel: Euphoria gives way to fear after Iranian missiles rain down on Tel Aviv
Israelis said the initial euphoria over the shock attacks on Iran has given way to fear, after Iranian missiles slammed into central Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel, causing widespread destruction and killing at least three people. Bright orange flashes illuminated the sky over Tel Aviv early on Saturday as Israeli air defence systems appeared to down some of the incoming missiles. Still, fires and plumes of smoke could be seen in several areas of Tel Aviv, while explosions were also reported in Jerusalem. Images and videos verified by Middle East Eye showed apartment blocks in Tel Aviv's suburbs and the nearby city of Ramat Gan almost completely destroyed and the wreckage of several vehicles among the debris. Emergency services reported early on Saturday that at least three people were killed across Israel and more than 40 were injured. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters More than 200 Israelis are reported to have been wounded since Friday. "The night was very scary," Meron Rappaport, a Tel Aviv resident, told MEE. "There was complete euphoria over how we eliminated the Iranian leadership... but it's clear to me that after a night like last night, people are in shock. "There's no one on the street. And if it continues like this, I don't see anyone going to work." The aftermath of a damaged residential building after a ballistic missile strike in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, on 14 June 2025 (MEE/Faiz Abu Rmeleh) Early on Friday, Israel launched a flurry of attacks on sites across Iran, including its nuclear facilities, and killed several commanders in their residences - among them the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Pushing the region into a new conflict with uncertain consequences, Israel continued its attacks across Iran for much of Friday, resulting in Iran firing hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel, in what the Islamic Republic called the beginning of its "crushing response". Following the strikes, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel's deadly attacks would "bring it to ruin". "The armed forces of the Islamic Republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy," Khamenei said in a televised speech. Whether with a green light or grudging acceptance, Trump enters war with Iran Read More » Orly Yafa-Niger, a 67-year-old Israeli living in central Israel, told MEE that after initially supporting the strikes against Iran, reality quickly hit home that Israel was vulnerable and that Israelis, just like Iranians, could also be targeted. "The attack surprised me," Yafa-Niger said. "We were sitting in a dorm when we heard a loud boom, and we began to wonder what it was and what it hit. "Then we realised that it hit a building, destroyed homes. We realised that it's happening here and it's real and close. Suddenly, you accept that what's happening in Iran can happen here, too." She added that the warning sirens, which sent millions of people rushing for safe rooms and bomb shelters, had triggered palpable fear among every Israeli. "Our reality has changed," she said. "There are alarms and notifications, alerts to raise awareness that something is about to happen, which increases stress and uncertainty over what is going to happen. This raises anxiety." 'Disturbed fantasy' Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that "Tehran will burn" if the Islamic Republic continued responding to Israeli attacks by firing missiles at Israel. "If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," he said. Despite the threatening language, several Israeli hospitals began relocating patients underground on Saturday, bracing for further retaliatory Iranian strikes. The more Israel kills, the more the West portrays it as a victim Read More » Patients at the Sheba Medical Center, in the Tel Aviv area, were seen in video footage being transported to fortified underground facilities. Other footage showed staff transferring equipment and other essential medical gear. Orly Noy, a Jerusalem-based journalist, told MEE that Iran's attacks had shattered the myth that Israeli leaders had often repeated to the Israeli public: that they were immune to any and all reprisal attacks. "The Israeli public has been convinced over the years that it can exist here in the region while deeply disdaining all its neighbours and rampaging in a thuggish and murderous manner against everyone - whenever and however it wants - relying solely on brute force. "That's why there was something so substantial about the sight of the bombed-out buildings in Ramat Gan," he said. "They are so similar to the images we're used to seeing from Gaza. Those sooty grey skeletons of buildings, that billowing cloud of dust, that carpet of ash and rubble covering the street, those images of children's dolls in the hands of rescue teams. "The scale is, of course, completely different, but these images are nevertheless a momentary rupture of this disturbed fantasy that we are immune to everything," he added. Israeli forces plant national flags on cars damaged by Iranian air strikes on Tel Aviv, 14 June 2025 (MEE/Faiz Abu Rmeleh) In a televised address on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue attacking Iran for "as long as necessary" and also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders. But Yafa-Niger said that Netanyahu's combative relationship with regional states would either lead to his downfall or result in Israelis leaving the country en masse. "I have a very hard time with this messianic government, a government that is very extreme and not at all being run correctly," she said. "I'm also very worried about what will happen the day after and what will everything look like here if this government continues to rule. "If there is no political change here, it will be very difficult for me here, very difficult."


Sharjah 24
2 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Israel warns ‘Tehran will burn' after missile barrage
Military claims 'aerial freedom' over Iran The Israeli military declared it had secured 'aerial freedom of action' stretching to Tehran. Spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated that Iran's capital is now 'no longer immune' from Israeli air operations. Unprecedented exchange of fire This exchange follows an unprecedented Israeli aerial campaign on Friday, which Iran says targeted nuclear facilities and killed top commanders, including General Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami. Iran responded with waves of drone and missile attacks, lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, killing three people and wounding dozens. Rising tensions after years of proxy conflict After decades of proxy confrontations, this marks the first time Israel and Iran have directly traded fire at such scale, raising fears of a prolonged and broader regional conflict. Operation "Rising Lion" and the Road to Tehran Israel's military operation, dubbed Rising Lion , struck Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment site and key military figures. On Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed it had struck dozens of missile launchers and air defense systems, claiming the 'way to Iran has been paved' and that additional strikes on Tehran were imminent. Heavy civilian toll and warnings of wider retaliation Iran's UN ambassador reported that 78 people were killed and 320 wounded in Friday's strikes. Iranian media confirmed additional deaths in Saturday's Israeli attack on a central base. Iran has warned the UK, France, and the US that any involvement in aiding Israel will result in retaliation against their regional bases. Fear, destruction across Israel Overnight, explosions and sirens echoed across Israel. Three Israelis were confirmed dead, and at least 76 were injured. Missiles hit areas near Tel Aviv, including Ramat Gan, where streets were filled with rubble and shattered vehicles. In Tel Aviv, firefighters worked for hours to rescue people trapped in a high-rise. Residents described scenes of panic and destruction. Iran responds with missile strikes Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on Israeli targets. One missile strike reportedly injured seven Israeli soldiers. Meanwhile, an explosion at Tehran's Mehrabad airport caused a fire and smoke across the city, as Iranian air defenses responded to incoming fire. Crowds gathered in the streets, waving flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans in support of Iran's response. Regional and international reactions The conflict has led several countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, to temporarily shut their airspace, though they reopened on Saturday. Iran's airspace remains closed. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to cease fire, stating, 'Enough escalation. Time to stop.' Pope Leo XIV also called for restraint and reason. Nuclear talks in doubt Planned Iran-US nuclear talks in Oman were thrown into uncertainty following Friday's strikes. US President Donald Trump urged Iran to return to negotiations but Iran rejected talks under attack, calling them 'meaningless.' Western governments have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons—a claim Tehran denies. Conflict may stretch on When asked how long the conflict might last, Israel's ambassador to Paris estimated 'a small number of weeks,' while Prime Minister Netanyahu said operations would continue 'as many days as it takes.'


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Travel alert issued for Emiratis and UAE residents
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory for UAE citizens due to the latest developments in the Middle East. In a post on social media, the ministry called on Emiratis, residents and visitors to contact airlines directly for the latest updates on flight schedules. Emiratis in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Israel have been urged to register with the Twajudi, a government service to support nationals abroad and to help co-ordinate repatriation in an emergency or crisis. Flight cancellations Tension across the Middle East escalated sharply on Friday after Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran, killing senior military officials and attacking nuclear facilities. Iran responded with retaliatory missile attacks on Israel into Saturday morning. As the situation deteriorated, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed, with the UAE's Etihad Airways announcing the cancellation of services to and from Tel Aviv. 'Etihad Airways is experiencing disruption to several services across the region due to airspace closures and the continuing regional situation,' Etihad's duty media officer told The National in a statement on Saturday. Travellers transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will also not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. 'This remains a developing situation which is likely to cause some disruption and delays over the coming days. Etihad is continuously monitoring airspace and security updates in close co-ordination with the relevant authorities,' the Abu Dhabi based airline said. Dubai-based Emirates also cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran.