The United States and Israel launched a major attack on targets across Iran on Saturday. The first wave of strikes appeared to target a compound in downtown Tehran believed to house Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it responded by launching a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel. A nationwide warning was issued in Israel as the military reported intercepting incoming fire.
The conflict quickly spread beyond Iran. Bahrain reported that a missile attack targeted the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom. Sirens and explosions were heard in Kuwait, home to US Army Central, while explosions were also reported in Qatar.
Several countries, including Iraq, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, closed their airspace. Sirens were also heard in Jordan.
Middle East airspace closures disrupt global flights
The closure of airspace across parts of the Middle East forced many global airlines — including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Air India — to cancel flights.
The disruption triggered widespread confusion, with travelers rushing to flight-tracking platforms such as Flightradar24 to monitor the evolving airspace situation. Many users also tracked the movement of military aircraft in the region.
The surge in traffic reportedly caused Flightradar24 to crash, leaving many users unable to access the service. The company confirmed it is expanding capacity and said the platform would be restored shortly.
Military aircraft tracking intensifies
Closed airspaces were visible on Flightradar24, showing no commercial flight movement over affected regions. At the same time, several US military aircraft were tracked flying over Israeli airspace, while others were reportedly spotted at regional airports, including Doha.
The rapidly escalating conflict has not only intensified geopolitical tensions but also triggered significant disruption to global aviation networks.
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