Iran announces partial reopening of airspace

Iran announced the partial reopening of its airspace, along with the reopening of several airports, as of 0330GMT on Saturday.

International flights are now allowed to transit through the eastern part of Iran’s airspace, the Civil Aviation Organization said, as cited by the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Flight operations at airports across the country will be progressively restored, depending on the technical and operational readiness of both military and civilian authorities, in order to resume passenger services for the public, it added.

Six Iranian airports have been reopened, the Association of Iranian Airlines said following the announcement.

The reopened facilities include Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport, as well as the international airports in the cities of Mashhad, Birjand, Gorgan, and Zahedan, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported, citing the secretary of the airline association.

The official said the airlines are getting ready to resume both domestic and international flight operations.

On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran, and Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting U.S. assets.

The war has been on hold since April 8, when Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire.

Washington and Tehran held talks in Pakistan last weekend towards a lasting peace, and efforts for another session in Islamabad are underway.