Iran has reopened its airspace after a temporary closure lasting around five hours, a move that disrupted regional air traffic amid mounting concerns over a potential military confrontation between the United States and Iran.
The brief shutdown forced airlines to cancel flights, reroute aircraft or delay departures. A notice published on the website of the US Federal Aviation Administration indicated that Iran had temporarily closed its airspace to all flights, with the exception of international services operating to and from the country under official authorisation.
The restriction took effect at 2215 GMT on Wednesday and was lifted shortly before 0300 GMT, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.
FlightRadar24 data showed that five flights operated by Iranian airlines were among the first to resume operations over Iranian territory following the reopening.
The airspace closure came at a sensitive moment, as US President Donald Trump was reported to be weighing options for responding to developments in Iran, which has been witnessing its largest anti-government protests in years.
On Wednesday, a US official said Washington was withdrawing some personnel from its bases in the Middle East. The move followed remarks by a senior Iranian official warning that Tehran had alerted neighbouring countries that US bases would be targeted if Iran were subjected to American air strikes.
Germany also issued new guidance on Wednesday warning airlines based in the country against entering Iranian airspace. The advisory came shortly after Lufthansa adjusted its Middle East flight schedules in response to escalating regional tensions.
The United States already bans all American commercial flights from flying over Iran, and there are no direct commercial air services between the two countries.
Several international airlines have reduced or suspended operations to Iran in recent days. Flydubai and Turkish Airlines cancelled a number of flights to the country last week. Lufthansa said it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, while operating daytime-only flights to Tel Aviv and Amman from Wednesday through next Monday to avoid overnight stays for flight crews. The airline added that some services could be cancelled as a result of these measures.
Italy’s ITA Airways, in which the Lufthansa Group is a major shareholder, also announced the suspension of its night-time flights to Tel Aviv until next Tuesday, reflecting growing caution among airlines as geopolitical risks in the region intensify.
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