The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended on Friday that airlines avoid Iranian airspace, as the country is on heightened alert due to the threat of a military strike from the United States, LETA reported citing AFP.
“Given the current situation and potential military activity by the United States, which has resulted in Iran's air defense forces being on heightened alert, there is currently an increased risk of misidentification,” stated EASA.
“The presence of a wide range of weaponry and air defense systems, as well as their possible use in combination with the unpredictable reaction of the state and the likely activation of surface-to-air missile systems, poses a high risk to civil aviation at all altitudes and flight levels,” the agency emphasized.
Protests began in Iran on December 28 due to rising living costs, which escalated into demonstrations against the clerical regime. According to reports, at least 3,428 people have been killed during the protests, and over 10,000 have been detained.
Until Wednesday, the United States threatened Iran with military action if it did not abandon plans to execute detained protest participants. After warnings from U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf about regional consequences, Washington made concessions, although on Thursday it reiterated that “all options are still on the table.”
U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Iranian authorities on Thursday for canceling “all planned executions.” He had previously warned Tehran of “serious consequences” if it continued its repression against protesters.
