Iraq closes airspace, suspends flights at all airports following Israeli strikes on Iran

BAGHDAD — Iraq closed its airspace and suspended all flights on Friday after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites raised fears of broader regional conflict.

“The Ministry of Transport closes Iraqi airspace and suspends air traffic at all Iraqi airports,” Iraq’s state news agency reported, citing official instructions from the ministry.

The closure disrupted both passenger and cargo traffic, with local carriers grounding flights and foreign airlines diverting routes to avoid Iraqi airspace.

The measure comes amid escalating tensions in the region following a large-scale Israeli operation targeting sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Israeli media said the operation, dubbed “Rising Lion,” involved over 200 warplanes and resulted in the deaths of several top Iranian military commanders, including Hossein Salami and Mohammad Bagheri.

Iran responded by launching more than 100 drones toward Israel, according to Israeli military officials. Iraq, Jordan, and Iran all closed their airspace in the aftermath of the attack, prompting global airlines to reroute or cancel flights through the region.

The U.S. State Department earlier this week ordered the departure of all non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad due to security concerns. In remarks to reporters on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said, “They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.” He added, “They can’t have a nuclear weapon, very simple, they can’t have a nuclear weapon, we’re not going to allow that.”

The Israeli strikes and subsequent Iranian response come ahead of a planned sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, scheduled to take place Sunday in Oman. It is unclear whether the talks go ahead.

AFP contributed to this report