DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran unexpectedly closed its airspace to commercial flights for over four hours early Thursday, amid rising tensions with the United States regarding Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests. The airspace closure, which affected a crucial East-West flight route, led international airlines to divert their flights around Iran. However, as the morning progressed, the closure was lifted, allowing several domestic flights to proceed shortly after 7 a.m.
This is not the first time Iran has restricted its airspace; similar closures occurred during the 12-day conflict with Israel in June, and when hostilities flared up during the recent Israel-Hamas war. Despite the closure, there was no immediate indication of conflict, but it nonetheless caused a ripple effect throughout global aviation, highlighting the strategic importance of Iranian airspace. According to the aviation safety website SafeAirspace, multiple airlines have either suspended or reduced their operations in the region, citing potential risks of security or military actions, which could increase the chance of misidentification of civil aircraft.
Historically, Iran has made grave errors in identifying civilian planes as threats. A notable incident occurred in January 2020 when Iranian air defense mistakenly shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, killing all 176 aboard. Initially, Iran denied culpability, dismissing accusations as Western propaganda before eventually admitting its responsibility for the tragedy.
The closure of airspace was compounded by warnings for personnel at a vital U.S. military base in Qatar to evacuate, alongside orders from the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait for staff to temporarily refrain from visiting various military installations in the Gulf nation. U.S. President Donald Trump made ambiguous remarks concerning potential actions against Iran, stating that plans for executions within the country had ceased, although he provided scant details. Trump later signaled to Iranian protesters that “help is on the way,” vowing that his administration would respond appropriately to Tehran’s harsh measures against dissent.
In a bid to de-escalate tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the U.S. to seek diplomatic solutions, asserting that diplomacy is preferable to war, despite a lack of positive interactions with the U.S. previously. Araghchi’s comments came amid mounting urgency from Iranian leadership, including the judiciary chief's insistence that the government act swiftly to punish those detained during the protests.
Activists fear that hangings of detainees could occur imminently as the death toll from the protests has risen dramatically, with the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting at least 2,615 fatalities. This number surpasses any previous occurrences of unrest in Iran for decades, invoking memories of the upheaval linked to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As events unfold, the international community continues to monitor the situation, balancing concerns about human rights violations against broader geopolitical implications.
