UPDATE - Qatar says air traffic has resumed after temporary closure due to Iranian attack on US base

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By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Qatar has resumed air traffic and restored its airspace to normal operations following a temporary suspension prompted by regional developments, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced Monday.

In a statement reported by the official Qatar News Agency, the GCAA said that air navigation over Qatar has returned to normal “after the necessary precautions were taken in coordination with relevant authorities.”

Qatar Airways announced the reinstatement of flights following the reopening of the airspace.

"Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly," it said in a statement

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions following the US targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites Sunday.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US forces, alongside Qatar, "successfully" defended against the attack, confirming there were no casualties to American or Qatari personnel.

Regional tension sharply escalated Sunday after the US bombed Iran’s Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.

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

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

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

* Diyar Guldogan from Washington, DC contributed to this report