By: Fern Sidman

In the wake of the most serious escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict since hostilities began on June 13th, Israeli authorities have taken the extraordinary step of closing the country’s airspace and grounding all commercial air traffic until further notice. According to a report at World Israel News, the move comes amid heightened fears of Iranian retaliation following a series of precision U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities — strikes that prompted Tehran to launch a barrage of over 30 ballistic missiles at Israel just hours later.

The decision, announced early Sunday and reaffirmed Monday morning, has caused chaos across the global travel network and left tens of thousands of Israeli citizens stranded in airports and ports around the world. According to the information provided in the World Israel News report, Israeli airlines — including El Al, Israir, and Arkia — had been in the process of mounting repatriation flights for citizens stuck in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Now, all of those efforts have come to a grinding halt.

Sunday’s missile barrage from Iran, which followed the U.S. bombing of key Iranian nuclear facilities including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, triggered red alerts across central and northern Israel. Within minutes, Israeli airspace was declared closed by the Civil Aviation Authority in coordination with the IDF Homefront Command and the Ministry of Transportation.

According to the report at World Israel News, several flights en route to Ben Gurion Airport were diverted mid-air. An El Al rescue flight from Paris to Tel Aviv was ordered to return to France, while another inbound flight from Bangkok was rerouted to Rome. In a public statement issued later that day, El Al confirmed the immediate suspension of all operations to and from Israel.

“El Al flights are canceled until further notice,” the airline stated. “Flights that were en route to Israel will land at an alternative destination. El Al is subject to and acts in accordance with the guidelines of the Homefront Command and the Ministry of Transportation. Passenger safety and security are our top priorities, and we will continue to update you with any changes and new guidelines.”

World Israel News reported that the situation remains fluid, with no clear timeline for the reopening of Ben Gurion Airport. Authorities had originally scheduled Monday as the first day that outbound flights could resume, specifically to allow tourists, foreign diplomats, and Israelis with emergency circumstances to leave the country. Those plans are now in jeopardy.

The suspension of commercial flights is not the only transportation crisis facing Israeli authorities. In a further sign of the war’s expanding impact on civilian mobility, a passenger cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 Israelis from Cyprus was denied entry to the Port of Ashdod on Sunday. As the World Israel News report confirmed, the cruise had been part of the Ministry of Transport’s “Operation Safe Return,” which had already successfully brought home several thousand Israelis stranded in nearby countries since the war’s outbreak.

Security concerns following the Iranian missile attack reportedly played a role in the decision to delay the docking. Although the Israeli Navy had been overseeing the ship’s approach under heavy protection, officials deemed the situation too volatile to risk disembarkation amid fears of a second Iranian strike.

According to the report at World Israel News, discussions are now underway to redirect the cruise ship to Haifa Port, or to extend its stay in international waters until the security situation stabilizes.

With Ben Gurion Airport shuttered, Israeli consulates around the world have been inundated with appeals from citizens trying to return home. World Israel News reported that tens of thousands remain abroad, many of whom had been attempting to return on the now-suspended rescue flights. In the United States, airports in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles were among the hardest hit by the cascading cancellations.

In Europe, Israeli embassies in Paris, London, and Berlin have set up emergency hotlines to provide stranded citizens with accommodations and updates. “The disruption is unprecedented in modern Israeli history,” one airline executive told World Israel News. “We’ve seen partial closures before, but never a complete halt like this—at a time when so many are already displaced.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Israelis abroad to stay in close contact with their local embassies, promising that once the security threat diminishes, repatriation flights will resume “as soon as operationally possible.”

Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed to World Israel News that the closure of Israeli airspace was prompted not only by the direct threat of additional Iranian missiles but also by intelligence suggesting that Iran or its proxies may attempt to target airports and transportation infrastructure as part of a broader escalation strategy.

This strategic posture was reinforced by statements from senior Israeli officials, including former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who emphasized that Israel remains in a “state of high alert” and that the safety of civilians remains the highest priority. “We are dealing with a regime that has targeted our hospitals, our cities, and now seeks to paralyze our logistics,” Gallant told reporters Sunday. “Our response must be measured, but firm.”

The complete shutdown of Israeli airspace has major implications for Israel’s economy, already strained by the protracted conflict with Iran. Tourism, one of the country’s key industries, has come to a virtual standstill. Hotel cancellations have surged, and international travel agencies are issuing refunds or credits for trips scheduled over the next two weeks.

Diplomatic missions have also been affected. The World Israel News report noted that numerous foreign diplomats scheduled to attend emergency briefings in Jerusalem have had their travel plans delayed or canceled. Remote briefings are now being scheduled as embassies adapt to the new wartime reality.

The ripple effects of the airspace closure are also being felt in Israel’s tech sector, particularly in Tel Aviv, where business travel is a lifeline for international partnerships. “This kind of disruption is a nightmare scenario,” one Israeli venture capitalist told World Israel News. “We’ve gone from boardrooms to bunkers in a matter of days.”

As the war between Israel and Iran enters its second week, the prospect of reopening Israeli airspace hinges almost entirely on whether Iran continues its missile offensive. Should the situation de-escalate, the Ministry of Transport has said it is prepared to resume limited flight operations within 48 hours. Until then, the country’s skies remain closed, and its citizens abroad remain stranded in anxious limbo.

For now, the message from Israel’s Homefront Command is clear: stay alert, stay sheltered, and await further instruction.

As the World Israel News report indicated, “Israel is a country born in crisis, forged by resilience. But even by its storied standards, this moment is a test of national will. From the skies above to the terminals below, the war with Iran has reshaped daily life in every direction.”