Pics Show Contrast In Mideast Airspace During And 12 Hours After Iran's Attack

NDTV

4 hours ago

New Delhi:
The rising tensions in the Middle East have thrown international air travel into disarray, with many airspace closures amid the Israel-Iran conflict. The airspaces over Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain were closed on Monday night after Iran launched a missile attack on US military bases in Qatar in retaliation for the American strikes on Tehran's three key nuclear facilities - Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. LIVE UPDATES
As a direct fallout of the closure, many flights were cancelled and delayed.
As soon as Iran struck the US base last night, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace, forcing planes to divert away from Doha - one of the world's busiest airports. In a post on social media, Qatar said this is part of a set of precautionary measures being taken based on developments in the region. Soon after, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also joined Qatar in closing their airspace.
All flights flying around the UAE were also diverted. A picture by FlightRadar24 shows flight chaos as all airlines avoided flying over Doha. Not a single plane can be seen in or around Qatar airspace. "Lots of aircraft are forced to turn around," the flight tracking website said.
The airspace in the Middle East opened nearly 12 hours after the Iranian attack as Tehran hinted at a ceasefire with Israel. The imagery by FlightRadar24 today shows many flights flying over Qatar. However, the air traffic remains constant around the Middle East.
Iran's retaliatory attack on US Base in Qatar
In retaliation for the US bombing Iran's nuclear sites, Tehran last night targeted an American base in Qatar, Al-Udeid air base, the largest strategic asset of the US army in the West Asia region, with a "devastating and powerful missile attack". Tehran underlined that it will "not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national security unanswered" under any circumstances.
"The number of missiles used in this successful operation was equal to the number of bombs the United States used in its assault on Iran's nuclear facilities. The targeted base was also located far from urban areas and residential zones in Qatar, ensuring minimal risk to civilians," read a statement from the Secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
A spokesman for Iran's Armed Forces said the attacks on the American base in Qatar were carried out by the Revolutionary Guards Corps, the ideological arm of the Iranian military.
A few hours later, Trump said Iran gave the United States notice prior to shooting missiles at its military base in Qatar.
"I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Iran-Israel ceasefire
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran has "now come into effect", and warned the two arch enemies in the Middle East not to violate the truce deal. "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT," he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Iranian state-run media also said that the ceasefire with Israel came into effect following five waves of missile attacks on Israeli-occupied territories, which killed at least seven people. Even moments before the ceasefire came into effect, Iran reportedly fired its last round of missiles.
After Iran, Israel too confirmed the truce deal, saying a "test ceasefire" is in effect till 7 pm.