Britain Takes Unusual Step Amid Attack Concerns: Suspension of Flights Over Iran and Lebanon

Sky News Arabia reported last night (Wednesday) that Britain has decided to halt its civilian flights in the airspace of Iran and Lebanon until further notice. This decision comes amid fears of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah following the recent assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures in Beirut and Tehran.

Earlier today, Egypt issued a notice to local airlines, instructing them to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours, from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM. The Egyptian notice stated that "no flight plans will be accepted over Iranian territory" during these hours, citing "security tensions between Iran and Israel."

Yesterday, Iran announced the closure of its airspace today and tomorrow due to "military exercises," including tests of long-range aerial missiles. According to the announcement, the first airspace closure occurred today between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM local time (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Israel time), with another closure scheduled for tomorrow between 4:30 AM and 7:30 AM local time (4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Israel time) – aligning with the times Egypt had warned against.