The U.S. Travel Association, the Airlines for America, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association issued a joint statement on Friday, warning that a potential lapse in appropriations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could significantly disrupt the travel and aviation sectors.
The groups urged the Congress to pass a government funding bill as soon as possible. They cautioned that if employees of the Transportation Security Administration, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, are forced again to work without pay during another round of shutdown, it could severely affect airport security operations and passenger travel nationwide.
Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security. With temporary funding for the department set to expire at midnight on Friday, the agency could soon face a shutdown if lawmakers do not reach an agreement.
US business associations warn of impact of Homeland Security shutdown
US business associations warn of impact of Homeland Security shutdown
Iran's capital Tehran was subjected to large-scale airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Friday night while two U.S. warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, Iranian forces said.
At around 21:00, an aircraft was seen flying over northeastern Tehran, and subsequently, Iran's air defense system was activated.
More than two hours later, Iran was hit by another air attack, leading to major explosions. It came after the Iranian military announced that its air defense system had successfully shot down a U.S. A-10 fighter jet, marking the second U.S. warplane hit by Iranian fire that day. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire delivered to Iran through a "friendly" country, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday.
The report added that Iran's response to the offer was not given in writing, but through the continuation of attacks in the battlefield.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.
Tehran hit by large-scale US-Israeli air attacks
