Flights Continue Amid Attacks
Israel maintains open airspace and flight operations despite Iranian missile attacks and regional closures
Israel and Iran exchanged fresh strikes after Iran fired nearly 30 missiles toward Israel late Sunday into Monday, triggering air-raid sirens across Israel and prompting residents to shelter as Israel said it intercepted incoming projectiles in multiple waves. Iran said its attacks were justified by alleged Israeli violations of a ceasefire in Lebanon, while Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah-linked sites in the Beirut area and Israel said it hit Iran’s air-defence and other military-linked targets, including in southwestern Iran. Israel also said it was working to intercept a missile launched from Yemen by Iran-allied Houthis. Israeli authorities expanded airport emergency preparations: Ben-Gurion is continuing to operate normally for now, Haifa remained operating, and airlines adjusted passenger arrangements while plans were made to reduce passenger and flight caps. Tourism officials opened an emergency operations center to coordinate potential relocation if homes are damaged. US President Donald Trump called for restraint and urged Israel not to retaliate further amid concerns about escalation beyond Lebanon and direct Israel-Iran attacks.
Key Points
Axios, via US and Israeli sources, reported that Trump told Netanyahu Washington was “close to doing something good in terms of a deal,” and that Netanyahu “pseudo agreed” to hold back immediate action—adding the US side said it did not issue a “green light” for earlier Israeli strikes.
Israel’s Transport Minister Miri Regev said the decision to keep commercial flights operating followed a situational assessment led by Regev together with Transportation Director General Moshe Ben-Zaken and aviation-industry professionals, with the ministry saying the public would be updated if fire expands and a new decision is required.
Reporting from Tel Aviv cited Channel 12 saying Ben Gurion Airport was continuing operations normally the night of June 8 into June 9 (local time), and that—at that point—only one Austrian Airlines departure scheduled for June 8 had been cancelled; the airport was expected to run at full capacity on June 8 unless conditions changed.
Iranian civil aviation officials said the western airspace closure was ordered for “security and safety assessments” and would remain shut “until further notice,” while the same report added that Iran’s state broadcaster framed the missile attack as retaliation for Israel’s strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which Lebanon’s health ministry said killed two people and injured 20.
Israeli aviation officials said authorities would rely on “advanced tracking systems and coordination with defense officials” to manage civilian flight safety, and that technical teams are “prepared to alter this policy at a moment’s notice” if intelligence indicates an immediate threat to flight corridors.
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