Jordan: Royal Jordanian Airlines resumes flights to Baghdad January 7 /update 1

Event

Royal Jordanian Airlines announced that flights between Amman and Baghdad (Iraq) would resume on Tuesday, January 7, after being briefly suspended on January 3 due to security concerns. Flights to the other Iraqi cities: Basra, Erbil, Najaf, and Sulaymaniyah will continue to operate as scheduled.

Residual flight delays and cancelations are possible over the near term.

Context

The US Department of Defense released a statement on January 3, claiming responsibility for an airstrike targeting Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iran's Quds Force, near Baghdad International Airport (BGW). According to the statement, Soleimani was "actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region." Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), was also killed in the strike along with six other individuals.

Advice

Individuals flying via Royal Jordanian Airlines are advised to monitor the situation and confirm flight reservations.