Israel closes its airspace as it braces for Iranian drone and missile attack

Israeli aviation authorities say they are closing the country’s airspace to all flights as it braces for an Iranian drone and missile attack.

The country’s airport authority said the closure would go into effect at 12.30am local time.

It said flights would be affected and advised travellers to check with their airlines for changes.

Iranian state television announced that Tehran had launched an attack towards Israel.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has fired a “first phase” of ballistic missiles at targets inside Israel.

Iraq’s state news agency quoted Transportation Minister Raqqa Saadawi as saying the country’s airspace was closed.

Before the attack was announced, a FlyDubai flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, turned around as it was over Saudi Arabia, flight-tracking data showed.

According to a report from Reuters, Jordan has declared a state of emergency. Lebanon and Iraq have also closed their airspaces.

The Israeli army’s spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the aircraft to arrive.

He said Israel was prepared.

Israel has been on heightened alert since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria.

Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack and vowed revenge. Israel has not commented on that attack.

A US official briefed on the attack said Iran had launched “dozens” of drones. The official could not publicly discuss details of the attack and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said it was cancelling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people as a safety precaution.

Briefing reporters, Mr Hagari said Israel is “prepared and ready” with defensive and offensive actions. He also said there was “tight” co-operation with the US and other partners in the region.

The head of the US Central Command, General Erik Kurilla, has been in Israel in recent days to co-ordinate with Israel about the Iranian threats.

Israel has a number of layers of air defence capable of intercepting everything from long-range missiles to UAV’s and short-range rockets.

Mr Hagari said Israel has an “excellent air defence system” but stressed it is not 100% effective and urged the public to listen to safety announcements.

President Joe Biden was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said.

Mr Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran’s attack and reiterated the UK’s continued support for Israel’s security.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in itw own back yard.

“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.”

He said his government and its allies were “urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation”.

“No one wants to see more bloodshed,” he said.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. File Picture: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. File Picture: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike.

Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran’s atomic sites.

Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces.

Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war.

Would you like a lunchtime summary of content highlights on the Irish Examiner website? Delivered straight to your inbox at 1pm each day.