Iran extends closure of airspace to commercial aircraft as US tensions rise, says report

Iran on Thursday (January 15) extended an order closing its airspace to commercial aircraft without explanation as tensions stay high with the US, reported news agency AP.

The order exempted international flights to and from Tehran, provided they received prior approval from Iran’s civil aviation authority, reported CNBC.

The restriction was scheduled to be in place from 10:15 pm UTC Wednesday to 12:30 am UTC Thursday, according to a notice posted by the Federal Aviation Administration. It was later extended from 1:14 am to 3:30 am UTC.

The US has prohibited all American commercial flights from overflying Iran. Airlines, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have also cancelled multiple flights to Iran over the past week.

On January 14, Iranian officials have signalled that fast trials and executions lay ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests, while the Islamic Republic promised retaliation if the US or Israel intervenes in the domestic unrest.

Iran has been witnessing intense demonstrations since December 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, as the country's economy is squeezed by international sanctions levied in part over its nuclear program.

Trump has repeatedly warned about potential US military action over the killing of peaceful protesters, just months after American forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war launched by Israel against the Islamic Republic in June.

Death toll

The security forces' crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Death toll continues to rise The Human Rights Activists News Agency said 2,615 of the dead were protesters and 153 were government-affiliated. Thirteen children were killed, along with 14 civilians it said were not taking part in protests.

More than 18,400 people have been detained, the group said.