Erbil Airport unscathed; Iraqi airspace reopens after Iranian attack on Israel

Shafaq News / Hoshyar Ahmed, the director of Erbil International Airport, reassured on Sunday that the airport had not faced any targeting despite hearing intense explosions in various parts of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

The nature of these explosions remains unclear, with reports suggesting a possible missile attack and the US air defenses intercepting Iranian missiles and drones during their assault on Israel.

Witnesses in Baghdad, Wasit, and other areas also reported hearing multiple explosions in the Iraqi skies, although details remain murky.

Arab media outlets reported similar explosions being heard in the skies of Syrian and Jordanian cities.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced the reopening of Iraqi airspace to all incoming, outgoing, and transit after the Iraqi authorities had closed their airspace with the start of the Iranian attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force declared a retaliatory operation named "Truthful Promise," targeting Israeli positions in the "occupied Palestine." to "punish the criminal Zionist regime."

Some of the ballistic missiles from Iran targeted the "Nevatim" Air Base in the al-Naqab desert, according to reports from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Sunday.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's military spokesperson, revealed that Iran had launched numerous ground-to-ground missiles, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders. The successful interception, including cruise missiles, was described as a "strategic achievement."

"25 of the 30 cruise missiles were shot down by Israel." He added.