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Gulf Airlines Cancel Flights after Israel Strikes Iran

Photo by WAM
Photo by WAM
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Gulf Airlines Cancel Flights after Israel Strikes Iran

Photo by WAM
Photo by WAM

Airlines in the Gulf have cancelled flights to many Middle East destinations as some governments closed their airspace following Israeli strikes on Iran.

Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, said it had cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes.

Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website.

Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had "temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region".

UAE airports have warned of disruption, with Dubai posting on X that "some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria".

Abu Dhabi airport warned "flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)" as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Earlier Friday, Jordan and Iraq, which both lie between Israel and Iran, announced they had closed their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel's strikes.

Jordan's military said it intercepted drones and missiles that had violated the kingdom's airspace, after Iran vowed there would be "no limits" in its response to Israeli attacks.

Israel pounded Iran with a wave of strikes against military and nuclear industry targets, that killed the armed forces' chief of staff, the Revolutionary Guards chief and top nuclear scientists.

The Israeli military said Iran had launched about 100 drones in retaliation, which it was seeking to shoot down.

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Gulf

Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
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Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)

Qatar's prime minister said on Thursday Iran's attack on the world's largest gas facility in Qatar was "clear proof" against Tehran's claims of having targeted only US interests in the Gulf.

There were "persistent Iranian claims that these attacks are against American interests... and this claim is rejected and cannot be accepted," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, AFP reported.

"The clear proof of this is the attack that took place yesterday that targeted a natural gas facility in the State of Qatar," he added.

Gulf

Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh
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Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

The Muslim World League (MWL) today welcomed the joint statement issued by the consultative ministerial meeting of foreign ministers from several Arab and Islamic countries, held in Riyadh, to discuss Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, SPA reported.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, Secretary-General and Chairman of the Council of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa expressed the league's full support for the statement's condemnation of the blatant Iranian attacks on residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and diplomatic missions, noting that these actions constitute a flagrant violation of religious values, international laws, and humanitarian norms.

He reiterated the need for the international community to firmly confront this escalation and compel Iran to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2817, ceasing its aggressive practices that target neighboring countries and destabilize regional and global security.

Gulf

Kuwait Arrests Hezbollah Cell Plotting Attacks on Key Facilities

Brig. Gen. Nasser Bousleib, the Interior Ministry’s official spokesperson. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Brig. Gen. Nasser Bousleib, the Interior Ministry’s official spokesperson. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kuwait Arrests Hezbollah Cell Plotting Attacks on Key Facilities

Brig. Gen. Nasser Bousleib, the Interior Ministry’s official spokesperson. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Brig. Gen. Nasser Bousleib, the Interior Ministry’s official spokesperson. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday evening that state security forces had thwarted a terrorist cell linked to Hezbollah that was planning to target vital installations in the country.

Brig. Gen. Nasser Bousleib, the ministry’s official spokesperson, said in a statement that the cell consisted of 10 Kuwaiti nationals. The suspects had reportedly received training in camps affiliated with Hezbollah, including instruction in operating drones.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the State Security Service had “successfully foiled a terrorist plot targeting vital facilities in the country” following extensive surveillance and security investigations.

Authorities said the 10 suspects, described as members of a terrorist group affiliated with the banned organization Hezbollah, had engaged in prior planning and coordination with external actors.

They allegedly sought to establish intelligence contacts to supply coordinates of targeted sites, posing a direct threat to national security.

Members of the cell had undergone training abroad in Hezbollah-run camps, including weapons handling and drone operation, as part of preparations for sabotage attacks aimed at undermining state sovereignty, destabilizing the country, and spreading fear among the public.

The suspects have provided detailed confessions, said the ministry.

It stressed that it would act “with the utmost firmness” against anyone found to be involved in undermining national security or cooperating with such groups, warning that it would not hesitate to take decisive action against any threats.

Safeguarding Kuwait’s security remains a top priority, it said, emphasizing that authorities will continue efforts to track down those behind such plots and pursue the harshest legal measures without leniency or exception.

On Monday, the ministry announced the arrest of another terrorist group affiliated with Hezbollah that had been attempting to destabilize the country and recruit individuals to join the group. Authorities said 14 Kuwaiti suspects and two Lebanese nationals were detained.

Officials seized weapons, ammunition, encrypted communication devices, drones, and narcotics from the suspects.