Iran: Middle East tensions rise as Iran reopens skies, Israel hits defenses.

Shotlist FILE: Tehran, Iran - Jan 25, 2026 1. Various of cityscape, national flags of Iran Tehran, Iran - June 8, 2026 2. Various of buildings, traffic Iran - June 7, 2026 3. Various of missiles being launched FILE: Jerusalem - April 7-8, 2019 4. Various of building of Israeli Parliament Knesset, national flags of Israel FILE: Tel Aviv, Israel - April 7-8, 2019 5. Various of buildings, traffic Jerusalem - June 8, 2026 6. Sound of air raid siren 7. Various of trail left in sky FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 8. Various of White House 9. Capitol building Storyline Iran said Monday nationwide aviation operations had returned to normal after lifting flight restrictions imposed during military escalation with Israel. Earlier in the day, Iran's Airports and Air Navigation Company announced all flights at airports across the country had been canceled until further notice, according to the official IRNA news agency. The Israeli military the same day released footage of airstrikes on air defense systems in western and central Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes were aimed at enhancing air superiority in Iranian airspace and eliminating potential threats to Israel. The escalation came amid U.S.-Iran talks and followed Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday that killed at least two people. Iran responded with a barrage of missiles, and Israel retaliated early Monday with strikes targeting sites in western and central Iran. Also on Monday, U.S. forces disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Central Command said, claiming the vessel violated the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) disabled Palau-flagged M/T Marivex as it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran, the command said on X, adding that the vessel's crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces. Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran after an F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces, said the command. Since the blockade was initiated on April 13, the U.S. military has disabled seven "non-compliant vessels," redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass, according to the command. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda]