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.



King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud stressed on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has made “persistent efforts to support global peace and maintain security and stability through its firm approach to containing crises,” as demonstrated by its positions amid the conflict in the region.

In an address to citizens and residents of the Kingdom and Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, he said: "We ask the Almighty to grant victory to our brave heroes and soldiers stationed on our borders. May He protect our precious homeland, the Islamic nation, and the entire world, and may He bless us with lasting security and prosperity.”

“We praise Allah and thank Him for helping us to fast and pray during Ramadan. We congratulate you on the blessed Eid Al-Fitr and ask the Almighty to accept all our good deeds,” he added.

“May He make it an Eid of goodness and peace, and return it to our country and the Islamic nation with goodness, security, and stability,” he continued.

“We thank Allah for the many blessings bestowed upon our land, the greatest of which is the honor of caring for the Two Holy Mosques and serving those who visit them.”

“We have dedicated all our resources to this sacred duty, and we pledge that our efforts will never cease as we continue to provide everything needed for the comfort and safety of pilgrims,” said King Salman. “This is the heart of our nation’s mission, as it has been since its very beginning.”

“By the grace of Allah, millions of Muslims were able to perform Umrah and pray in the Two Holy Mosques this Ramadan with ease and peace of mind. This was made possible by a dedicated system of care and the sincere, hard work of our own sons and daughters,” he remarked.

King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received congratulatory messages from the leaders of Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. 


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.


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.