Iran temporarily closed its airspace to most incoming and outgoing flights due to escalating tensions with the U.S. and threats of intervention.
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Iran Closes Airspace Amid Escalating Tensions With US
The order exempted international flights to and from Tehran, provided they received prior approval from Iran’s civil aviation authority.
The US has prohibited all American commercial flights from overflying Iran.
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- Iran temporarily closed airspace amid escalating U.S. tensions.
- Closure impacted many international flights, with exceptions for approved flights.
- Airspace restrictions followed U.S. threats and Iran's protest crackdown.
- Airlines rerouted or canceled flights to and from Iran.
Iran Protest Updates: Iran temporarily closed its airspace late Wednesday to most incoming and outgoing flights amid escalating tensions with the U.S., according to a notice posted by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The restriction was scheduled to be in place from 10:15 pm UTC Wednesday to 12:30 am UTC Thursday, the notice said. It was later extended from 1:14 am to 3:30 am UTC.
Live data provided by flight tracker FlightRadar showed aircraft skirting around Iranian airspace, as of 8:30 a.m. ET.
The order exempted international flights to and from Tehran, provided they received prior approval from Iran’s civil aviation authority.
Trump Threatens Intervention
The airspace closure comes as tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump threatened intervention following a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran.
Trump later appeared to soften his tone. Speaking at the White House on Wednesday night, Trump said he had been assured that the killings of protestors in Iran had stopped and that he would “watch it and see” regarding potential US military action.
The US has withdrawn some personnel from American military bases in the Middle East amid Iranian threats to strike those locations if Washington launches an attack.
Several airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights to Tehran in recent days. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said Thursday that some of its international flights would be impacted by Iran’s airspace closure.
Earlier this week, Germany warned its airlines against entering Iranian airspace. The Lufthansa Group said Wednesday that it would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, with some flights cancelled.
The US has prohibited all American commercial flights from overflying Iran. Airlines, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have also canceled multiple flights to Iran over the past week.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Iran temporarily close its airspace?
What was the duration of the airspace closure?
The closure was initially scheduled from 10:15 p.m. UTC Wednesday to 12:30 a.m. UTC Thursday, and was later extended.
Were all flights affected by the airspace closure?
No, international flights to and from Tehran were exempted if they received prior approval from Iran's civil aviation authority.
How did airlines respond to the airspace closure and tensions?
Several airlines, including IndiGo, Lufthansa Group, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines, canceled or rerouted flights to and from Iran.
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