ISTANBUL 

Qatar shut down its airspace temporarily on Monday evening as tension in the region continued to escalate, the Foreign Ministry said.

A ministry statement said that the measure was taken to ensure the safety of its citizens, residents, and visitors.

“In light of Qatar’s commitment to the safety of all individuals on its territory, the competent authorities have decided to temporarily suspend air navigation in the country’s airspace,” the statement said.

The ministry emphasized that the decision was part of broader precautionary steps taken in response to evolving regional conditions.

According to the statement, Qatari authorities are “closely and continuously monitoring the situation” and are “assessing developments in coordination with regional and international partners.”

The ministry added that the public will be kept informed of updates through official channels.

“The safety and security of everyone in Qatar remains a top priority,” the ministry said, adding that the Gulf country will not hesitate to implement necessary protective measures.

Regional tension sharply escalated on Sunday after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

The US attacks were the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.