Israel’s Rising Lion: Mideast airspace closures mount
Shafaq News/ Israel’s military operation against Iran has led to widespread airspace closures and flight suspensions in the region.
Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that all flights operated by Turkish airlines to Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan have been suspended until Monday, June 16.
In a post on X, Uraloglu said aviation authorities and airlines had implemented precautionary measures and adjusted flight paths to avoid unsafe airspace following the Israeli attack on Iran.
13 Haziran 2025 tarihinde sabah erken saatlerde İsrail tarafından İran’a yönelik başlatılan hava saldırıları neticesinde, bölgedeki güvenlik risklerinin artması nedeniyle İsrail, İran, Suriye ve Irak hava sahaları geçici olarak hava trafiğine kapatılmıştır.Bu kapsamda:…
— Abdulkadir URALOĞLU (@a_uraloglu) June 13, 2025
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Directorate revealed that the country’s airspace remains partially open.
Amin Jaber, Director General of Lebanese Civil Aviation, told Shafaq News that all eastern routes toward Syria, Iraq, and Jordan are closed, halting outbound flights on those paths, while Iraq suspended all inbound flights to Beirut, and some Lebanese aircraft are reaching Amman via a limited route through Jordanian airspace.
Jaber said Cyprus now serves as Lebanon’s only open-air corridor and remains a key connection to Europe and nearby regions.
An Iraqi security source also told Shafaq News that Iraq had closed its airspace and suspended all flights in response to Israel’s military operation.
The move followed the launch of Operation Rising Lion, during which more than 200 Israeli warplanes struck Iranian nuclear and military sites.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the objective was to neutralize a growing existential threat, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pledged a “severe punishment” in response.
