A helicopter belonging to Aryan Aviation, flying from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has crashed in the jungles of Gaurikund, leading to the deaths of 7 people, including the pilot.

Following the crash, helicopter services operating in the Char Dham region have been suspended until further notice. The decision was jointly taken by UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation).

The aircraft had previously gone missing in the Gaurikund area of the state, Indian media had reported.

(Agencies)

Iran has launched ballistic missiles at Israel as its supreme leader vows to “inflict heavy blows” in retaliation for Israel’s overnight strikes.
The BBC’s Ione Wells reports hearing an explosion in Jerusalem as black smoke has been seen rising over Tel Aviv’s skyline.

Forty people are being treated in Israeli hospitals following the retaliatory strike, including two in critical condition.

Speaking to US media, Israel’s ambassador has said a woman in Tel Aviv was killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Friday.

Earlier, the IDF said three Iranian military commanders were killed in last night’s strikes while Tehran says six scientists have also been killed.

Meanwhile, Jordan and Iraq on Friday had announced the closure of their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel’s attack on Iran.

“The kingdom’s airspace is temporarily closed, and air traffic suspended for all aircraft — incoming, outgoing and in transit, as a precaution against any risks resulting from the regional escalation,” the Jordanian civil aviation authority said in a statement.

“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” government spokesperson Mohammad Momani told AFP.
Jordan, which borders Israel, intercepted multiple drones and missiles fired by Iran at Israel in October 2024.

Iraq, which borders Iran, also closed its airspace on Friday.

“The ministry of transport closes Iraqi airspace and suspends air traffic at all Iraqi airports,” the Iraq News Agency reported.

(Agencies)

Global oil prices jumped after Israel said it had struck Iran, in a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Benchmark oil contracts Brent Crude and Nymex light sweet were up by more than 10% after the news emerged.

Traders are concerned that a conflict between Iran and Israel could disrupt supplies coming from the energy-rich region.

The cost of crude oil affects everything from the price of food at the supermarket to how much it costs to fill up your car.

Analysts have told the BBC that energy traders will now be watching to see whether Iran retaliates in the coming days.

“It’s an explosive situation, albeit one that could be defused quickly as we saw in April and October last year, when Israel and Iran struck each other directly,” Vandana Hari of Vandana Insights told the BBC.

“It could also spiral out into a bigger war that disrupts Mideast oil supply,” she added.

In an extreme scenario, Iran could disrupt supplies of millions of barrels of oil a day if it targets infrastructure or shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, with about a fifth of the world’s oil passing through it.

At any one time, there are several dozen tankers on their way to the Strait of Hormuz, or leaving it, as major oil and gas producers in the Middle East and their customers transport energy from the region.

Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

“What we see now is very initial risk-on reaction. But over the next day or two, the market will need to factor in where this could escalate to,” Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Financial said.

(BBC News)