Iran has reopened its central and western airspace to international transit flights following safety and security clearances.
The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development confirmed the move on Saturday after receiving approval from the Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO) and completing necessary assessments.
Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the ministry, stated that while the central and western corridors are now open, no flight operations, landings or take-offs will be allowed from Iran’s northern, southern, and western airports.
Northern, Southern airspace remains closed temporarily
The CAO clarified in a separate statement that airspace in Iran’s northern, southern, and western regions will remain closed until 14:00 local time (10:30 GMT) on Sunday.
Earlier, the government had reopened its eastern airspace for domestic, international, and overflying flights, aiming to gradually return air traffic to pre-conflict operations.
Airspace closure followed Israeli airstrikes on Iran
Iran initially closed its airspace on June 13, following a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting strategic locations in Tehran and other provinces.
The strikes were part of Israel’s 12-day military campaign, ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ which Israel said aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that the operation caused significant damage to Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, which Israel identified as core elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The IDF said it launched the strikes after detecting progress in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, which it described as direct threats to the State of Israel.
Ceasefire paves way for gradual restoration of flights
A ceasefire agreement, reached on Tuesday, ended the 12-day aerial conflict, paving the way for Iran to partially reopen its airspace.
On Wednesday night, Iran resumed limited air traffic in the eastern region, with further phases of reopening planned as security conditions improve.
The reopening of central and western corridors marks a critical step toward restoring international aviation routes across Iranian airspace, which serves as a major transit hub between Europe and Asia.
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