Flight scheduled to depart from Dubai to Tel Aviv canceled amid regional tensions: CMG reporter

A flight scheduled to depart from Dubai to Tel Aviv has been temporarily cancelled before takeoff, with the time of resumption still uncertain, a China Media Group (CMG) reporter said from Dubai.

Flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to several destinations in Iran and Israel have been canceled amid heightened regional tensions, according to local airport websites.

"This is Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. I was originally scheduled to take a flight departing from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, at 12:10 today. However, due to a sudden change in the local situation, about half an hour ago, Israel officially announced the temporary closure of its airspace, suspending all civilian flights. It is now around 11:20 local time in Dubai. The airline has just informed me that our flight has been temporarily canceled," said Wang Yin, the CMG reporter.

Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights on Saturday following a joint Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran, according to local authorities.

The U.S. and Israel on Saturday launched what U.S. President Donald Trump called "major combat operations" against Iran, plunging the war-torn Middle East into a new round of violent conflicts.

Flight scheduled to depart from Dubai to Tel Aviv canceled amid regional tensions: CMG reporter

Companies operating at Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas, Iran -- including warehouse staff, shipowners, and freight forwarders -- fled the port after it was targeted in joint attacks by the United States and Israel on Saturday.

Black smoke was rising from a naval radar station and a warehouse of the Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base near the port at around 11:00, an overseas Chinese resident told China Global Television Network (CGTN).

The evacuation of businesses from the port has triggered traffic jams on roads leading to the city, according to the witness, with footage obtained by CGTN showing trucks, fuel tankers and cars crowding the roads.

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched strikes against Iran, plunging the war-torn Middle East into a new round of violent conflicts.

Iran retaliated with a series of counterattacks against Israel and U.S. targets across the region, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, among other countries.

The latest flare-up came after the United States and Iran wrapped up their third round of indirect talks earlier this week and agreed to resume negotiations next week.

Businesses flee key Iranian port following attacks by US, Israel