Shafaq News- Erbil

Authorities in the Kurdistan Region on Saturday suspended schools and universities for four days, citing safety concerns as hostilities continue between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

In a statement, the Kurdish Ministry of Education announced that official working hours will be halted until March 4 across all public and private educational institutions.

The decision came hours after columns of smoke were seen rising near Erbil International Airport, which hosts civilian flights and a military section used by US-led Coalition forces. Four loud explosions were also heard near the Harir Air Base in Erbil province, another site hosting US forces.

Meanwhile, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw reassured residents over food supplies, stating that warehouses hold sufficient stock for six months. He stressed that markets remain stable and warned that strict measures would be taken against any attempt to disrupt supply or pricing.

The development follows coordinated US and Israeli strikes targeting sites inside Iran, which Washington described as part of a major offensive. Tehran, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel and US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

During a recent phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein expressed Iraq’s rejection of further escalation in the region. Araghchi stated that Iran would continue to defend itself, stressing that its response would focus on US military installations across the region.