Iran cancels flights overnight as threat of Israeli strikes looms large

Flights from all Iran's airports will remain cancelled from 9 pm on Sunday till 6 am on Monday (11 pm-8 am IST). The move comes on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, when Gaza-based terror group Hamas launched armed incursions into southern Israel.

In Short

• Iran cancels flights from 9 pm Sunday to 6 am Monday
• Move comes on first anniversary of deadly October 7 Hamas attacks
• Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran's airstrikes

Iran has grounded flights and all its airports overnight as the threat of an Israeli retaliatory strike looms large. Citing the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organisation, Iranian state media said the flights have been cancelled due to operational restrictions.

Flights from all Iran's airports will remain cancelled from 9 pm on Sunday till 6 am on Monday (11 pm-8 am IST). Following Iran's announcement, Lebanon has also cancelled flights from Beirut airport for the same time period.

Notably, Iran implemented restrictions on flights on Tuesday, October 1, when it launched missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of commanders of its proxy groups, including former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel vowed to retaliate for the strikes, saying Iran "will pay for it".

Iran's precautionary move also comes on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, when Gaza-based terror group Hamas launched unprecedented armed incursions into southern Israel. At least 1,200 people, including civilians attending a music festival near the Gaza Strip, were killed in the attacks and nearly 250 people were taken hostage by the terror group.

The attack, which Hamas calls 'Operation Al-Aqsa flood', is regarded as the deadliest assault on Israel since its founding in 1948, with the fatalities exceeding those of prior terrorist incidents. It triggered a massive Israeli military response, leading to a large-scale siege and bombing campaign in Gaza, which, according to Hamas's health authorities, resulted in over 41,000 deaths, many of whom were civilians, including women and children.

The violence also escalated tensions across the region, with Iran-backed militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen and some resistance groups in Iraq launching attacks against Israel.

Hezbollah was dealt a crushing blow by Israel after its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike in Beirut. Days before Nasrallah's killing, Hezbollah was subject to back-to-back sophisticated attacks by Israeli intelligence forces targeting their pagers and walkie-talkies, leading to the death of over 550 people.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Sunday thaat they deployed more troops to defend southern communities and areas bordering Gaza, ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 attack.