In an escalation of tensions in the region, Israel had suspended all air travel in and out of the country following missile launches from Iran aimed at Israeli territory. Concurrently, Iraq, located directly east of Israel, has also closed its airspace, according to reports from Reuters.
However, according to the latest updates, Israel has reopened its airspace and landings and takeoffs will take place as usual in an hour.
The shutdown of operations at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv was confirmed by Israeli army radio, which stated that all take-offs and landings were halted shortly after Iran initiated its missile strikes.
The attacks came just hours after a senior US administration official warned, on the condition of anonymity, that Iran was preparing to launch a ballistic missile assault on Israel "imminently."
As the missiles began to rain down on Israel, residents across the country were ordered to take shelter. Many rushed to air raid shelters as rockets were observed and heard flying over major cities, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Reports of the situation on the ground are still emerging.
The US official indicated that the United States is actively supporting Israel's defensive measures in light of the escalating threat. Israel's air defence system, known as the Iron Dome, is designed to intercept incoming missiles before they can reach their targets.
This latest round of violence follows a significant incident in June when Iran launched drone and cruise missile attacks on Israel, marking the first direct assault by the Islamic Republic on the Jewish state.
During that attack, Israel claimed to have intercepted approximately 99% of the incoming threats with the assistance of key allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Jordan. However, some ballistic missiles did manage to strike, damaging the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, which has since remained operational.
Trying to justify these attacks, the Iranian mission to the United Nations has justified Iran's missile launches aimed at Israel, stating that these actions are a reaction to what they describe as "terrorist acts" by Israel. This comes as Israel has intensified its military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon, nearly a year into its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
According to the Iranian mission, these missile launches are a "legal, rational, and legitimate" response to attacks on Iranian nationals and violations of Iran's sovereignty. They indicated that there might not be any further missile launches in this situation for now. However, they warned that if Israel were to retaliate or continue its aggressive actions, Iran would respond with a strong counterattack.