Many airlines around the world are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian or Lebanese airspace, while canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon.
Britain has advised its airlines to avoid Lebanese airspace hours after Egypt made a similar request to fly over Iranian territory.
The warnings come amid rising tensions following the assassination of Hamas’s political bureau chief in Tehran last week in an attack blamed on Israel.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation, the notification was sent by Tehran to all commercial carriers. The instruction was given “due to military exercises“, without further details.*
The NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), a safety notice provided to pilots, said the ban was in effect from 01:00 to 04:00 GMTReuters reports. According to AP sources, the ban on access to Iranian airspace lasted from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.THURSDAY.
Israel is bracing for an attack by Iran and its allied militias following a series of deadly attacks on senior leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Both the mullahs’ regime and Hamas have accused Israel of being behind the explosion that killed Haniyeh, but the Jewish state has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
The escalation has prompted many international carriers to suspend flights to Lebanon, Israel and Iran.