Overview
- The official pilot notice shut Iranian skies to commercial traffic for more than four hours before expiring, with domestic overflights visible after about 7 a.m. local time.
- International carriers diverted north and south of Iran, and aviation tracker SafeAirspace said many airlines reduced or suspended services and continued to avoid the route.
- Authorities reported no new hostilities, but flight‑risk advisories warned the closure could point to heightened military or air‑defense activity and a risk of misidentifying civilian aircraft.
- Western governments urged departures from Iran, with the United Kingdom temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran and U.S. posts issuing restrictions tied to military sites in Qatar and Kuwait.
- The move unfolded as President Donald Trump threatened potential action while emphasizing diplomacy, and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi publicly called for a negotiated path, against the backdrop of protests with thousands reported killed.