Iran extends flight ban until early Tuesday

TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) on Monday extended the suspension of all flights to and from the country until early Tuesday, citing "special circumstances" and the need to ensure passenger and flight safety.

The CAO announced to the Iranian Students' News Agency that all domestic and international flights would be canceled until 2:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday (2230 GMT on Monday).

The decision follows Israel's airstrikes on the Iranian capital Tehran and other areas across the country early Friday. In retaliation, Iran has launched a series of missile and drone strikes on targets in Israel since Friday night, causing casualties and significant damage.

Separately, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday that Israel attacked a fire station in Musian city in Iran's western province of Ilam. This marks the second time the fire station has come under Israeli attack in recent days; the previous strike damaged part of the building and nearby vehicles. Fars did not provide details on potential casualties or damage from the second attack. Enditem