Without warning–or closing its airspace ahead of the attack–Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israel on Tuesday. Video has emerged of the attack from the cockpit of a British Airways flight. The more concerning story, however, is that the plane was there in the first place.
Iranian Missle Attack Against Israel Captured From Cockpit Of British Airways Flight
Video onboard a British Airways flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Dubai (DXB) shows missiles launched from Iran headed toward Israel. Iran’s response to Israel’s pummeling of Lebanon was expected, but the time, place, and manner of the retaliation was not known before the attack.
https://twitter.com/IntercityFC/status/1841250160443011506
Thankfully, there was no impact with any commercial jets, but there were many commercial jets in the area when the attacks began. Air Traffic Control was not made aware of the attacks even once they began and scrambled to redirect air traffic away from the corridor between Iran and Israel, which also covered Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Once the attacks began, about 80 flights, operated by not only BA, but Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and others bound for major Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to other cities or turned around and returned to Europe.
It did not take long for the airspace to clear:
With Israel promising a response–also at the time of its choosing–European carriers are pulling out of the region, at least on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile, the Lufthansa Group (which includes Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, and SWISS) suspended all flights to Beirut (BEY) until November 30, flights to Tel Aviv (TLV) until October 31, and flights to Tehran (IKA) until October 14. KLM has also suspended flights to Tel Aviv through the end of 2024.
I’ll save my opinions on the conflict for another day, but we should all be very thankful that no civilian aircraft was hit by any Iranian rockets. As the region teeters on a further escalation of war, downing civilian aircraft is a needless way to expand the conflict.
top image: @IntercityFC / X
This is the inevitable consequence of Is**eli aggression. I loathe the Islamic regime in Iran, which has robbed its people of dignity for 45 years, but the regime has shown tremendous restraint against the Zionists.
Maybe it’s time for Israel to use US bunker-busting bombs to set the Iranian nuclear program back a decade and remind it that it is messing with the wrong nation. May the Ayatollah be held accountable for all the harm he has caused to the world and most notably, to the Iranian people. I’d love to see Iranians rise up like they did in 1979, only this behead him and every member of the Supreme Council.
Don’t forget to that the CIA for setting in motion the chain of events that led to the Islamic Republics existence. I’m referring to thei CIA led coup against Mossadegh, in case it wasn’t obvious
Yes, I acknowledge that.
Even though that is totally irrelevant to current events.
And the idea of nationalizing BP-owned land and refineries Zimbabwe-style was also a threat to the stability of the world order. He also seemed to cheat in the 1952 election and then tried to usurp the prerogative of the Shah, then claimed “dictatorial decree” powers. I’m not fully justifying the coup, but the West faced two bad options…it’s not like it was an easy choice.
Was it really a threat to world order, or just to the profits of Western oil companies?
“then tried to usurp the prerogative of the Shah”
A very simplistic account of history…
@Aaron. 100% agree.
A not very nuanced explanation of history.
I’d say it’s quite relevant to current events, since said regime would potentially not exist but for those events.
@Cy: It’s such unhelpful Monday Morning Quarterbacking to speculate in this way, as if the alternative in Iran would have been any better. You have no basis upon which to make that claim.
It’s like saying the world would have been so much better had the US not joined WWII because it used nuclear weapons in the Pacific Theatre.
@Aaron: A very accurate account of history, whether you like it or not.
Accurate in the most limited and myopic way possible.
c’mon matthew….the west carried out a coup against a democratically elected gov’t and inadvertently set the country on the path that led to where it is today. there are just basic facts, Don’t try to claim that alleged cheating in the 1952 election somehow forced our hand, we have no issue cozying up to far less democratic regimes then Mossadegh’s Iran.
there is no MMQB here. The alternative in Iran would likely have been better because its hard to imagine worse. its a horrible gov’t that is a menace to the world and more importantly to its own people, yes worse exists, but simply playing the law of averages almost any alternative would be better.
i’m no fan of the current israeli gov’t, and esp netanyahu, but if he could do to the iranian leadership what he did to hezbollah’s leadership, i wouldnt’ shed a tear…
May Benzion Mileikowsky be held just as accountable.
For helping to create Israel?
For being a dangerous, genocide loving war criminal.
STFU Aaron
Make me. Still daring you to do that, you vile excuse for a human being.
The only vile thing here is your disgusting appetite for your MAGA Daddy Man mustard.
Ew, you really are obsessed with that fantasy, aren’t you? you really need to stop projecting it onto other people.
Time to level Kharq Island .
Kudos to Aaron and Cy for keeping Matt in check when he’s out of his historical depth.
Also crazy how Matt posts an article ostensibly ‘concerned about operational safety’ and then turns to the comments wishing to bring back public beheadings ! Big yikes — He’s starting to resemble that which he loathes.
Anyways, hasn’t US interventionism bred so many unintended consequences inccl the Ayatollah and ISIS ? Afghanistan became a generational catastrophe, for ordinary people there but also our own soldiers with PTSD and suicide. Nothing to show for it but shattered lives. Round and round we go…
Can’t wait to see the Flight Aware screen grab during IL ‘s retaliation. (Spoiler: it will look the same)
@ET kudos for suggesting solutions and refraining from the blame game.
You point out the negativity behind US intervention, so are you suggesting isolationism?
How will that turn out? Explain your logic.
@Ni … +1 . Good question . Also , Imagine for a moment if Israel chose Isolation ?