WASHINGTON: Iran reopened its airspace Thursday after a temporary closure amid fears of possible US military action, as President Donald Trump said he had been told that the killing of protesters had ceased and that planned executions would not go ahead.
The move comes as tensions remain high across the region, with airlines rerouting flights and US and allied personnel taking precautionary measures.
Iran closed its airspace temporarily to nearly all flights on Wednesday amid fears of a US strike, forcing airlines to cancel, reroute, or delay some services. The closure, which began at 2215 GMT, was lifted shortly before 0300 GMT, allowing carriers including Mahan Air, Yazd Airways, and AVA Airlines to resume operations.
International airlines such as India’s Air India and Germany’s Lufthansa adjusted flight paths to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace, while other carriers, including flydubai and Turkish Airlines, suspended multiple flights in response to the heightened security risk.
Officials and aviation monitors warned that ongoing missile and drone activity in the region could continue to pose a threat to commercial flights.
In a surprise announcement at the White House, Trump said he had now received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that Tehran had now stopped, and that executions would not go ahead.
“They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place – there were supposed to be a lot of executions today and that the executions won’t take place – and we’re going to find out,” Trump said.
He offered no details and noted that the United States had yet to verify the claims.
Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office if US military action was now off the table, Trump replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow,” in an interview with US network Fox News.
“I can tell you, I’m confident that there is no plan for hanging,” Araghchi said, also accusing Israel of orchestrating violence.
‘Full control’
But Araghchi said the Iranian government was “in full control” and reported an atmosphere of “calm” after what he called three days of “terrorist operation.”
Iran also struck a defiant tone about responding to any US attack, as Washington appeared to draw down staff at a base in Qatar that Tehran targeted in a strike last year.
Iran targeted the Al Udeid base in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Trump that the strike showed “Iran’s will and capability to respond to any attack.” Fears of possible US military action continued to rile the region.
The British government said its embassy in Tehran had been “temporarily closed,” while the US embassy in Saudi Arabia urged staff to exercise caution and avoid military installations.
Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Iran several times since the protest movement that has shaken the country began in late December.
Iran’s judiciary chief vowed fast-track trials for those arrested, stoking fears authorities will use capital punishment against protesters.
In Tehran, authorities held a funeral for scores of security personnel and other “martyrs” killed in the unrest, which officials have branded “acts of terror.”
A senior Iranian official told journalists there had been no new “riots” since Monday, distinguishing them from earlier cost-of-living protests. “Every society can expect protests, but we will not tolerate violence,” he said.
Prosecutors have said some detainees will face capital charges of waging war against state.” State media reported a large number of arrests and the detention of a foreign national for espionage, without giving details.
The United States was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a US official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbors it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.
A Ukraine International Airlines jet was downed by Iran’s military in 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
