Israel Closes Airspace, Activates Missile Alerts After Strikes on Iran

Israel on Saturday shut down its airspace to civilian flights after confirming it had launched what it described as “preventive strikes” on Iran, while air raid sirens were activated across parts of the country, including Jerusalem.
The country’s Transportation Minister, Miri Regev, directed the Israel Civil Aviation Authority to suspend all civilian air traffic following what she termed ongoing security developments. She urged members of the public to stay away from airports until further notice and advised stranded passengers abroad to monitor updates from airlines and local media.
Authorities also called on Israelis overseas to comply with instructions from the National Security Council, noting that flight operations would only resume when the security situation stabilises, with at least 24 hours’ notice to be given.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said sirens were sounded proactively amid fears that missiles could be launched toward Israeli territory.
The escalation followed coordinated military action by the United States and Israel against Iran. Initial reports indicated that one of the first strikes occurred near facilities associated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian state media confirmed explosions in multiple locations, with thick smoke seen rising over parts of Tehran. Iranian authorities subsequently closed the country’s airspace and disrupted mobile phone services.
US President Donald Trump, in a video posted on social media, announced that American forces had commenced “major combat operations in Iran.” He accused Tehran of persisting with its nuclear programme and called on Iranian citizens to challenge their leadership, while acknowledging that US casualties were possible.
It remained unclear whether Khamenei was present at the reported strike location. He has not made a public appearance in recent days as tensions mounted.
A source familiar with the operation disclosed that Israeli targets included key military and intelligence installations. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the action was aimed at neutralising threats, without providing further specifics.
Iran has warned that any counterattack could target US personnel and military bases in the region.
As of the time of filing this report, no official casualty figures had been released, although additional explosions were reported in Tehran.