Kuwaiti authorities announced in the early hours of this Thursday the "temporary" closure of its airspace and the diversion of certain routes to "alternative" airports, due to the "possible risks" arising from the attacks that Iran has been carrying out in recent hours against several US bases and interests spread across the region.
"The General Authority of Civil Aviation of Kuwait announces the temporary closure of Kuwaiti airspace starting at 4:50 AM (3:50 AM in peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands) this Thursday morning and the diversion of flights to alternative airports (...) as a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of air navigation and passengers," the agency stated in a statement released on social media.
As the authority itself specified, the decision is made in response to "Iranian attacks against the State of Kuwait" and the "possible risks this entails for civil air traffic in the region." Likewise, it announced that the airspace will reopen and traffic will normalize "as soon as the end of the situation is confirmed" and the "reasons for danger have disappeared."
In this context, the Kuwaiti General Authority of Civil Aviation has asked "all" passengers and airlines to remain attentive to official notices and to respect the instructions and guidelines issued at all times.
In parallel, the Kuwaiti Army has reported that the country's air defense systems are acting against "hostile aerial objects," and has therefore urged the population to strictly observe the safety and protection instructions disseminated by the competent authorities.
The events occur after, on Wednesday night and for the second consecutive day, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the launch of two new waves of attacks against US bases and interests in Kuwait and other points in the region, alleging that it is a "response" to the "attack" carried out hours earlier by the US Army against various targets in the territory of the Islamic Republic.
Regarding Kuwait, Tehran has claimed to have attacked at least the Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber air bases. It has also claimed to have directed its missiles against military facilities located in Bahrain and Jordan, in an operation similar to the one carried out the previous day.