European flight regulators urge airlines to avoid Iranian airspace over US strikes

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has warned air operators to not operate within Iranian airspace, warning of responses by the country's air defence systems to "potential" US military action.

The EASA has issued this advisory in the late hours of January 16, warning of a "high likelihood of misidentification within Iranian airspace."

EASA also warned air operators to "exercise caution and implement contingency planning" for any flights within the airspace of neighbouring countries, particularly those that contain US military bases.

"In the event of a US intervention, the possibility of retaliatory actions against its assets in the region cannot be excluded, which could introduce additional risks to the airspace of neighbouring countries where the US military bases are located," the advisory warned.

Iranian authorities have reopened their airspace after a nearly five-hour closure on January 14 that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay some flights.

The official recommendation comes just hours after a heated session of the UN Security Council, where US ambassador Mike Waltz doubled down on President Trump's threats against Iran by recalling that "all cards are on the table to stop the slaughter [against protestors]."

By Nazrin Sadigova