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Airlines avoid Middle East airspace after U.S. attack on Iran

Airlines avoid Middle East airspace after U.S. attack on Iran

Japan Times2 days ago

Airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East on Sunday after U.S. 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 U.S. 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 these result 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 organization that shares flight risk information, said the U.S. attacks on Iran may increase risks to U.S. operators in the region.
"While there have been no specific threats made against civil aviation, Iran has previously warned it would retaliate by attacking U.S. 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 neighboring nations and some bringing stranded Israelis home.
In the days before the U.S. strikes, 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 United Arab Emirates. "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 on Sunday 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 Friday and Israir said it had halted the sale of tickets for all flights through July 7.
A spokesperson for Israel's airports authority said the country's main airport was expected to reopen for rescue flight landings on Sunday between 1100 and 1700 GMT.
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.
"In accordance with security directives, we are working to bring Israelis home as quickly as possible," Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev said in a statement.
Japan's foreign ministry said on Sunday 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 on Sunday 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.

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Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire after missiles fired at U.S. base in Qatar
Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire after missiles fired at U.S. base in Qatar

Japan Times

time35 minutes ago

  • Japan Times

Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire after missiles fired at U.S. base in Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that a "complete and total" ceasefire between Israel and Iran will go into force with a view to ending the conflict between the two nations. Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process. "On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR,'" he wrote on his Truth Social site. Trump declared a ceasefire minutes after each side threatened new attacks. CNN reported shortly before Trump's post that Iran had not received any ceasefire proposal and saw no reason for one, citing a senior Iranian official. Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed toward peace after dismissing Iran's attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Trump's statement. Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States. The U.S. attack on Al Udeid Air Base in neighboring Qatar threatened to widen a conflict that began on June 13 with an Israeli strike on Iran targeting its nuclear program and ballistic missiles. Iran had threatened to retaliate against the United States after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities over the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Iran, and Trump had raised the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled. "We did not assault anyone, and we will never accept being assaulted by anyone," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement. "We will not submit to anyone's aggression — this is the logic of the Iranian nation." Iran gave advance notice to the U.S. via diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as to Qatari authorities. Trump seized on that as a positive sign. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured," Trump wrote on his Truth Social media site. "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered." "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done," Trump wrote. "Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE." Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. The country's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Iran was ready to respond again in case of further action by the United States, according to a statement posted by the ministry's account on Telegram. The attack strained Iran's relationship with its Arab neighbors: Qatar condemned it, as did Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. "There are deep ties between the two states (Iran and Qatar) and the two nations, but the attack undoubtedly calls for a genuine meeting and a clear stance," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said at a news conference. The remnants of an intercepted Iranian missile lie on the pavement near the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base after a strike following American attacks on Iran nuclear sites. | AFP-JIJI Israel said it carried out its most extensive wave of attacks on Tehran ever on Monday. Targets included a Tehran prison where Iran's leadership holds political opponents, in a renewed demonstration of its willingness to strike beyond its previously stated military and nuclear targets and attack key pillars of Iran's ruling system. Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices fell 7% in volatile trading, suggesting traders doubted the Islamic Republic would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies. Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, reopened its airspace after a brief suspension, its civil aviation authority said early Tuesday. Iran's foreign minister met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps. Israel made clear that its strikes on Evin prison and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary said urgent action was being taken to protect the health and safety of inmates there. Evin has long been Iran's primary prison for political detainees and people accused of espionage, as well as the site of executions that remain strong memories for the opposition. Several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held there. Israel's military said it had also struck Revolutionary Guard command centers responsible for internal security in the Tehran area. The military was "currently striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after 10 days of bombing. Tasnim News Agency reported a strike at an electricity feeder station in the Evin neighborhood. Power company Tavanir reported some areas in the capital experienced electricity cuts. Since the U.S. joined Israel's campaign by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear production sites on Sunday morning, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. "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 Monday in a recorded, English-language video statement. The Trump administration maintains that its aim is solely to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to open a wider war. But in a social media post on Sunday, Trump had spoken of toppling the hard-line clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Five insiders with knowledge of the discussions said efforts had been ramped up to anoint a successor for Khamenei, Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader. His son Mojtaba, 56, and Hassan Khomeini, 53, grandson of the revolution's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, are now seen as the front-runners, they said.

Trump says Iran and Israel to have a phased-in ceasefire over 24 hours
Trump says Iran and Israel to have a phased-in ceasefire over 24 hours

The Mainichi

time36 minutes ago

  • The Mainichi

Trump says Iran and Israel to have a phased-in ceasefire over 24 hours

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Monday declared the "12 day war" between Israel and Iran as likely ending in a ceasefire, validating the strategic gamble of a devastating U.S. airstrike this weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites. "It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE," Trump posted on social media, although there was no immediate word from either country on the announcement. The ceasefire would start with Iran and then joined by Israel 12 hours later, with Trump saying the respective sides would "remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL." The phased-in ceasefire means the war could end as soon as Wednesday. "This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn't, and never will!" Trump said. The announcement came after Iran attempted to retaliate for the U.S. assault with a Monday missile strike aimed at a major U.S. military installation in the Gulf nation of Qatar. Trump separately thanked Iran on social media for giving the U.S. and allies "early notice" of the retaliation. The president expressed hope that Tehran -- with its reprisal for the U.S. bombardment of three key Iranian nuclear facilities -- had "gotten it all out of their 'system'" and that the moment would lead to a de-escalation in the Israel-Iran war, an event that occurred a few hours after the posting. "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done," Trump said on social media. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." The Iranian attack on U.S. forces at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base marked Tehran's first act of direct retaliation against the U.S. since Trump ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director and defense secretary under former President Barack Obama, said Iran's restrained response suggests that "their ability to respond has probably been damaged pretty badly." He also said it's a potential signal "they're not interested in escalating the war, either with Israel or the United States." Trump said Iran launched 14 missiles at the base, a sprawling facility that hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command and was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The base houses some 8,000 U.S. troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of those wars. The president said 13 of the Iranian missiles "were knocked down," by U.S. air defense systems while one was "'set free' because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction." Hours before Iran launched its attack on Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website urging American citizens in the energy-rich nation to "shelter in place until further notice." The Qatari government issued an extraordinary order to shut its busy airspace. The attack came as global markets were trying to ascertain what lays ahead after the U.S. struck key Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend with a barrage of 30,000-pound bunker busting bombs and Tomahawk missiles. Iran's parliament has approved cutting off the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane in the Persian Gulf that about 20% of global oil and gas passes through. It's now up to Iran's national security council to decide whether to move forward with the idea, which could lead to a spike in the cost of goods and services worldwide. So, far the markets appear to be a responding with a relative measure of calm. By Monday afternoon, oil prices were nearly back to where they were before the fighting began over a week ago. Trump earlier Monday called on the U.S. and allied oil producing nations to pump more oil and "KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN." Many energy industry analysts had been skeptical that Iran would go forward with a full closure of the strait, something that it has threatened to do in the past. Iran would have faced the possibility of retaliation against its own shipments and the possibility that the move would upset China, the biggest purchaser of Iranian crude. The U.S. and allies pressed Russia in the leadup to Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine with threats to its oil industry, and then followed through as many Western oil companies pulled out of the country and the U.S. and Europe imposed sanctions on Russian industry. But Iran is far less integrated into the global economy than Russia, which was reliant on European markets for its oil and gas exports and still went forward with the invasion despite U.S. warnings. Colby Connelly, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, cautioned that "if the 2020s have taught us anything so far, it's that economic ties don't always prevent conflict." As for Iran's future, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday appeared to play down Trump calling into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls on Tehran to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. "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???" Trump posted on social media. "MIGA!!!" Leavitt said Trump's "posture and our military posture has not changed." "The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking," Leavitt said.

Trump calls for peace after Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar
Trump calls for peace after Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar

Japan Times

timean hour ago

  • Japan Times

Trump calls for peace after Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar

Iran launched a missile attack on an American air base in Qatar on Monday that caused no injuries, and President Donald Trump dismissed it as a "weak response" to U.S. attacks while urging Iran and Israel to make peace as the conflict entered its 12th day. The attack on Al Udeid Air Base in neighboring Qatar threatened to widen a conflict that began on June 13 with an Israeli strike on Iran targeting its nuclear program and ballistic missiles. Iran had threatened to retaliate against the United States after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities over the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Iran, and Trump had raised the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled. "We did not assault anyone, and we will never accept being assaulted by anyone," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement. "We will not submit to anyone's aggression — this is the logic of the Iranian nation." Iran gave advance notice to the U.S. via diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as to Qatari authorities. Trump seized on that as a positive sign. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured," Trump wrote on his Truth Social media site. "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered." "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done," Trump wrote. "Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE." Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. The country's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Iran was ready to respond again in case of further action by the United States, according to a statement posted by the ministry's account on Telegram. The attack strained Iran's relationship with its Arab neighbors: Qatar condemned it, as did Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. "There are deep ties between the two states (Iran and Qatar) and the two nations, but the attack undoubtedly calls for a genuine meeting and a clear stance," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said at a news conference. The remnants of an intercepted Iranian missile lie on the pavement near the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base after a strike following American attacks on Iran nuclear sites. | AFP-JIJI Israel said it carried out its most extensive wave of attacks on Tehran ever on Monday. Targets included a Tehran prison where Iran's leadership holds political opponents, in a renewed demonstration of its willingness to strike beyond its previously stated military and nuclear targets and attack key pillars of Iran's ruling system. Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices fell 7% in volatile trading, suggesting traders doubted the Islamic Republic would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies. Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, reopened its airspace after a brief suspension, its civil aviation authority said early Tuesday. Iran's foreign minister met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps. Israel made clear that its strikes on Evin prison and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary said urgent action was being taken to protect the health and safety of inmates there. Evin has long been Iran's primary prison for political detainees and people accused of espionage, as well as the site of executions that remain strong memories for the opposition. Several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held there. Israel's military said it had also struck Revolutionary Guard command centers responsible for internal security in the Tehran area. The military was "currently striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after 10 days of bombing. Tasnim News Agency reported a strike at an electricity feeder station in the Evin neighborhood. Power company Tavanir reported some areas in the capital experienced electricity cuts. Since the U.S. joined Israel's campaign by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear production sites on Sunday morning, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. "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 Monday in a recorded, English-language video statement. The Trump administration maintains that its aim is solely to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to open a wider war. But in a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hard-line clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Five insiders with knowledge of the discussions said efforts had been ramped up to anoint a successor for Khamenei, Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader. His son Mojtaba, 56, and Hassan Khomeini, 53, grandson of the revolution's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, are now seen as the front-runners, they said. Americans are anxious over a brewing conflict between the U.S. and Iran and worry the violence could escalate after President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.

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