Iran warns pilots to avoid airspace amid heightened Middle East tensions

Iran has issued a notice to pilots and aviation authorities to avoid its airspace amid threats by Iranian officials to attack Israel.

This notification followed a call on August 4 during which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Group of Seven foreign ministers that Tehran might attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours. Blinken did not specify the nature of the potential attack, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Israel has declared its readiness to defend against any retaliatory strikes, with Washington pledging support to defend Israel. US officials are collaborating with international partners to mitigate tensions in the Middle East, following threats from Iran and pro-Iranian militias to attack Israel after the assassination of Hamas’ top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

The notification from Iran, issued at 7:45 a.m. CET, serves as a stay-away message to commercial and civilian aviation, without specifying further actions. This type of alert is typically used to provide real-time essential information to pilots.

In 2020, Iran unintentionally shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people on board, shortly after the US assassination of Iranian general Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Additionally, on August 5, German airline Lufthansa announced the extension of its suspension of all flights to Tehran, Tel Aviv, and Beirut until August 12. Israel has placed its military on high alert, while US officials are preparing military assets and regional partners to thwart a potential attack, which some fear could be more extensive and sophisticated than Iran's assault in April.

In April, Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel but provided advance notice to diplomats, allowing Israel and the US to prepare and intercept most projectiles. This time, however, Iran has withheld detailed warnings, increasing the potential impact of any strike.

One diplomat briefed on August 4 G-7 call reported that Blinken warned his counterparts that a large-scale Iranian attack on Israel could jeopardize any future engagement between Iran and the US, which have conducted sporadic indirect talks through Omani officials over the past 18 months.

Last week's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he was attending the inauguration of Iran's new president, marked a significant security lapse for Iran. Haniyeh was killed by a bomb while staying at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guesthouse.

This assassination followed Israel's claim of killing a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, which led to threats of retaliation from Iran-backed Hezbollah. While Iran and Hamas attribute Haniyeh's death to a missile strike, disputing the bomb theory, Israel has not publicly commented on the incident.