Iran extends airspace closure following deadly Israeli strikes

The ban on flights through Iranian airspace has been extended until 2:00 a.m. on June 18, the Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced.

Majid Akhavan, a ministry representative, stated during a briefing that both domestic and international flights remain prohibited until that time, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

He urged citizens to avoid travelling to airports and to rely only on official sources for updated flight information.

This extension follows a series of military escalations beginning early on June 13, when Israel launched air strikes inside Iran. The strikes reportedly resulted in significant casualties, including the deaths of several high-ranking military figures: Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Gholamali Rashid and Ali Shadmani, commanders of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters; IRGC Air Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh; Ali Shadmani, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who succeeded Gholam Rashid; as well as nine nuclear scientists and other senior officials.

In retaliation, Iran launched a massive missile and drone attack on Israel on the same day, firing over 150 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones targeting Tel Aviv and other regions. These attacks caused civilian casualties and widespread damage.

In Israel, the Iranian missile and drone strikes have claimed 24 lives and injured approximately 400 people. Of those injured, 10 are in serious condition, 36 in moderate condition, and 546 sustained minor injuries. Since the outset of these hostilities, over 370 ballistic missiles have been launched at Israel.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Ministry of Health reports that more than 220 people have been killed and over 1,200 injured in Iran since Israel’s initial strikes, with the majority being civilians.

By Tamilla Hasanova