The Israeli army announced today, Sunday, that it has "disrupted" an attack launched by Iran against the Jewish state, confirming the interception of "99%" of the drones and missiles fired. The armed forces remain fully operational and are discussing options for further action.
In a televised statement, Admiral Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli army, described Iran's movements as "extremely dangerous," adding that they are "pushing the region towards escalation," according to Reuters. The Times of Israel reported Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stating today, after a situation assessment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war council member Benny Gantz, that Israel has successfully thwarted the main Iranian attack.
However, he warned, "The campaign is not over yet. We must remain vigilant and adhere to the directives of the Israeli army's Home Front Command and prepare for all scenarios." He stated, "Israel faced today an attack involving hundreds of missiles and drones, and the army impressively put a stop to the attack," praising cooperation with the United States and other Israeli partners, according to the Arab News Agency.
### Aviation Movement
Meanwhile, Israeli airport authorities announced the reopening of Israeli airspace at 7:30 AM today (04:30 GMT), following an Iranian assault overnight involving hundreds of drones and missiles, according to Reuters. They noted that flight schedules from Tel Aviv are expected to be affected, urging travelers to check their flight times.
In related developments, three Arab countries—Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon—have announced the closure of their airspace and halted aircraft movement in all airports due to these tensions.
An official statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Transport indicated that "regional tensions have led to the suspension of Iraqi air traffic until further notice, in order to ensure the safety of civil aviation in Iraqi airspace." The statement added that "the General Company for Airport Management and Air Navigation began gradually clearing Iraqi airspace of incoming, departing, and transiting aircraft to maintain the safety of travelers arriving in Iraqi airports, as well as aircraft crossing our airspace," according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Works announced a temporary and precautionary closure of Lebanese airspace, stating in a release that "the temporary and precautionary closure of Lebanese airspace was decided starting from 1:00 AM today."
Additionally, the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission announced the complete closure of Jordanian airspace to aircraft movements due to escalating regional risks, ensuring the safety and security of civil aviation. Jordanian media reported the commission saying: "The commission decided to close Jordanian airspace to all incoming, outgoing, and transiting aircraft temporarily starting from 20:00 UTC, or 11:00 PM local time, for several hours, with updates to be made continuously according to developments."
Earlier on Saturday, the chairman of the board of commissioners of the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, Haytham Mesto, stated that air traffic in Jordan had been affected due to interference with the global GPS navigation system, prompting aircraft to use alternative systems.
### Avi BenHaim's Statement
In his remarks, Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee noted that of approximately 170 drones launched by Iran, not a single one breached Israel, as Air Force fighter jets and our defense systems intercepted dozens. Out of more than 30 cruise missiles fired by Iran, none penetrated Israeli territory. Our fighter jets intercepted 25 missiles outside the state's borders. From over 120 ballistic missiles, a very small number crossed into Israeli territory while the rest were intercepted. This small number fell on an air force base in Negev, causing minor damage to infrastructure. The base continues to operate and fulfill its missions.
