Iran Reopens Central and Western Airspace After Security Review

Partial lifting of airspace restrictions follows ceasefire with Israel and damage to nuclear facilities during 12-day conflict

Tehran – Iran has reopened parts of its airspace to international flights in the central and western regions, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced on Sunday. This decision comes after comprehensive security and safety assessments were conducted by relevant authorities, including the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) of Iran.

Ministry spokesman Majid Akhavan stated that the move follows the earlier reopening of Iran’s eastern airspace to domestic and international traffic. However, airports in the northern, southern, and western parts of the country remain closed to arrivals and departures. Overflights are now allowed in central and western air corridors, aiming to gradually restore air traffic disrupted by the recent conflict with Israel.

Akhavan clarified that while overflight permissions are granted in the reopened areas, no aircraft is permitted to land or take off from airports in the still-restricted zones. According to the CAO, the airspace in the northern, southern, and western parts of the country will remain closed until at least 14:00 local time (1030 GMT) on Sunday.

Iran had initially closed its entire airspace on June 13 following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and other strategic locations. The conflict, which lasted 12 days, concluded with a ceasefire agreement reached last Tuesday.

The Roads Ministry had earlier announced the phased reopening of airspace, beginning with the eastern region, as part of efforts to return flight operations to pre-conflict levels.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday claimed that its military operation, codenamed Operation Rising Lion, had inflicted significant damage on three key Iranian nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The IDF stated that the mission was launched to halt Iran’s advancing nuclear and missile programs, which it said posed an existential threat to Israel.

The reopening of Iranian airspace comes amid ongoing regional tensions and heightened international scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Authorities emphasized that air traffic will resume cautiously, with safety as the top priority. Further decisions on lifting remaining airspace restrictions will depend on the evolving security situation and assessments by Iran’s aviation and defense agencies.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)