Commercial air traffic over Iran was rapidly cleared early Saturday after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated military strikes, with flight tracking data showing aircraft diverting away from Iranian airspace as the situation escalated.A video posted on X by flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed planes abruptly rerouting around Iran, leaving large sections of the country’s skies nearly empty soon after the strikes began.Corridors over neighbouring countries appeared crowded with diverted aircraft as Iranian authorities shut down their airspace. The military action followed Israeli strikes across Iran, including in the capital Tehran, where multiple explosions were reported. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising over parts of the city, with blasts heard in central districts and near government complexes.Israeli defence minister Israel Katz described the operation as a ‘pre-emptive’ move aimed at “removing threats posed by Iran,” saying it was coordinated with US forces.US president Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had joined the strikes, stating that the objective was to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear infrastructure. “To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or, in the alternative, face certain death. So, lay down your arms, you will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death,” Trump said. In Israel, civil defence systems were activated amid expectations of retaliation. Air raid sirens sounded in several areas, and authorities urged civilians to remain near protected spaces.Iran later launched its retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and US military facilities in the region, along with hitting multiple countries, including Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia.
