New Delhi: An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv turned back to the capital Saturday after Israel unleashed "preventive" airstrikes on Iran, prompting widespread Middle East airspace shutdowns and chaos for global airlines.
Israel's Defense Minister verified the assault on Tehran, where blasts rocked University Street and Jomhouri district, Iranian outlets reported. Plumes of dense smoke billowed near Pasteur Street's government hubs, though damage and death toll details stayed unclear.
Budget airline IndiGo alerted passengers via advisory: "We are closely monitoring regional updates concerning Iran and its airspace. The safety and security of our customers and crew remain our highest priority."
Israel's military activated sirens nationwide and blasted phone alerts, urging people to shelter in secure spots. The IDF framed it as routine caution against possible incoming missiles.
In response, Israel shuttered schools countrywide, pushed remote work, and prohibited mass assemblies.
The barrage triggered instant airspace halts across neighbors, scrambling routes for flights to Tel Aviv and beyond.
Diversions piled up, per Flightradar24: Flydubai's FZ984 from Kazan to Dubai veered to Baku; Air India's AI126 from Chicago to Delhi skirted Syria; Air Arabia's G9950 from Sharjah to Moscow looped over Pakistan; Emirates' EK225 from Dubai to San Francisco detoured via Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This flare-up hits as U.S.-Iran nuclear talks intensify. President Donald Trump lately called Iran "very difficult" and "very dangerous." Geneva hosted Thursday's third negotiation round, with more set for later Saturday.
(Inputs from IANS)