Iran appeared to reopen its airspace on Thursday after a sudden overnight closure disrupted flights in the region, even as airlines continued to largely avoid the country amid heightened security warnings and ongoing regional tensions.
The overnight closure lasted about five hours after a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, was issuedThis is reported by the aviation risk monitoring site Safe Airspace.
Safe Airspace warns that the greatest danger to civil aircraft in Iranian airspace is misidentification by air defense systems during heightened tensions, with the overall risk level currently rated as ‘One – Do Not Fly’.
TRUMP SAYS US WILL TAKE ‘VERY STRONG ACTION’ AGAINST IRAN IF REGIME START HANGING PROTESTERS
The empty airspace over Iran is seen in this screenshot from FlightRadar24 on January 15, 2026, amid heightened tensions and concerns about possible military action between the United States and Iran. (FlightRadar24.com/Handout via REUTERS)
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that he had been informed that the killing of protesters in Iran had “stopped.”
“We have been very strongly informed, but we will find out what that all means. But we have been told that the killing in Iran will stop,” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., disagreed with Trump, writing on X that every indication he has seen shows the Iranian regime’s killing of anti-government protesters “is still in full swing.”
‘The death toll is rising by the hour. I hope help is on the way,” he wrote.
TRUMP-HEALTH MEETING AFTER REPORTED IRANIAN PRINCE AS REGIME AGAINST PROTESTS
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights abuses in Iran, said on Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into their 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
The group’s compiled figures showed 617 protest rallies in 187 cities across the country, the arrest of at least 18,470 people and the confirmed deaths of 2,615 individuals.
HRANA said 2,435 of the dead were protesters, including 13 children under 18.
TOP Iranian official downplays death toll, blames ‘Israeli plot’ as US considers strikes
Cars burn in a street during a protest against the collapse of the currency in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026. (Stringer/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)
Trump has threatened action against the regime and warned Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote on New Year’s Day.
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The president said Tuesday he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials and called on demonstrators to “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!”
“Save the names of the murderers and abusers. They will pay a high price,” Trump wrote, adding, “Help is on the way.”
