The skies over the Middle East became a tense zone on Saturday night as several countries took the drastic step of closing their airspace. This action came amidst rising tensions following a drone and missile attack launched by Iran against Israel. The first domino to fall was Jordan, which borders Israel and Palestine but not Iran. Citing "operational reasons," Jordanian authorities shut down their airspace late Saturday evening, with the initial closure lasting for three hours.
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However, local media outlet Al-Mamluka reported the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission acknowledged the true cause – the escalating geopolitical tensions in the region. Seeing the Iranian attack unfold, Israel announced its own airspace closure early Sunday morning. This closure, attributed to "military activity," will remain in effect until Monday morning.
The tremors of the conflict spread further as Iraq, another neighbor of Iran, also closed its airspace on Saturday night. Similar to Jordan, Iraq offered a vague explanation of "operational reasons" for the shutdown, which is expected to last through Sunday night. Lebanon, situated on Israel's northern border, joined the airspace closure party on Sunday. Their airspace will be off-limits from Sunday evening until Monday morning. The specific details of the Iranian attack remain unclear. Reports suggest a "swarm" of drones was launched, but the extent of the damage caused in Israel is yet to be determined. This incident comes in response to a recent Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which Iran condemned as a "crime."
The airspace closures have caused significant disruption to air travel in the region. Airlines like EgyptAir have suspended flights to and from Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon due to airspace restrictions and heightened tensions. The situation in the Middle East remains precarious. With both Iran and Israel on high alert, the coming days will be crucial in determining whether this exchange of attacks escalates further or if a fragile peace can be maintained.