Iran closed its airspace Wednesday to most flights amid widespread protests and tensions with the US.
The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) warning was issued by Tehran just after 5 p.m. ET and barred all flights except international flights to and from Iran with permission, according to FlightRadar24.
The warning is valid for just over two hours.
Only five aircraft were visible over Iran’s airspace at the time the NOTAM was issued, the flight tracking website showed.
The temporary closure came after President Trump signaled that he was satisfied the Iranian regime was not executing anti-government protesters and implied US military action against Iran was not imminent.
“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“So I’ve been told that a good authority — we will find out about it. I’m sure if it happens, we’ll all be very upset… but that’s just gotten to me, the information that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped, they’re not going to have an execution.”
The president also noted that he was told by “very important sources” in Iran that the Islamic Republic was backing off its clampdown on nationwide protests.
Around the same time Iran closed its airspace, the UK issued an alert advising against “all but essential to Israel” amid tensions in the Middle East.
This is a developing story. Check back for more information.
