BAGHDAD, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority on Friday announced a new 72-hour extension of the country's airspace closure amid ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement, the authority said the extension, effective from 12:00 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) Friday until 12:00 p.m. Monday, applies to all "arriving, departing, and overflying aircraft."
The suspension is a "temporary precautionary measure" based on a continuous security assessment, it said, noting that the situation will be re-evaluated "in accordance with any new developments."
Airlines and relevant authorities will be notified of any further updates regarding the security environment, it added.
The move follows heightened regional tensions after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting from Feb. 28, to which Iran and Iran-aligned groups responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East. ■
