GLOBAL airlines have cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, on Friday, June 13, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran.

FlightRadar data showed airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Jordan was empty, with flights directed towards Saudi Arabia and Egypt instead.

About 1,800 flights to and from Europe had been affected so far on Friday, including approximately 650 cancelled flights, Reuters cited Eurocontrol.

The closure of airspace by Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan came after Israel hit Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

The ICIR had earlier reported that Israel on Friday said it targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Israeli military spokesperson, Effie Defrin, a Brigadier General, revealed the attack, stating that 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets in Iran.

He also hinted that Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation.

Following the incident, 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.

Also, 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.

Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice following the closure of Israeli airspace.

“Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time,” a spokesperson for the French airline told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that “the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority,” The Guardian quoted.

Air India diverted or called back 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States due to the emerging situation in Iran.

According to aircraft tracker Flight Aware, the New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin.

In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Airport warned, flight disruptions are expected through Friday as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Dubai’s airport also reportedly announced flight delays and cancellations due to the closure of airspace in Iran, Iraq, and Syria.