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Iran reopens airspace after temporary closure forced flights to reroute

At a similar time last week to the airspace closure there had been dozens of planes in the air over Iran, Flightradar24 said.

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Iran reopened its airspace after a near-five-hour closure amid concerns about possible military action between the U.S. and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay some flights.

Iran closed its airspace to all flights except international ones to and from Iran with official permission at 5:15 p.m. ET (2215 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a notice on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration website.

The notice was removed shortly before 10 p.m. ET, or 0300 GMT, according to tracking service Flightradar24, which showed five flights from Iranian carriers Mahan Air, Yazd Airways and AVA Airlines were among the first to resume over the country.

At a similar time last week to the airspace closure there had been dozens of planes in the air over Iran, Flightradar24 said.

The temporary closure came as President Donald Trump has been weighing a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.

The United States was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbors it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.

Missile and drone barrages in a growing number of conflict zones represent a high risk to airline traffic.

India’s largest airline, IndiGo (INGL.NS), said some of its international flights would be impacted by Iran’s sudden airspace closure. Air India said its flights were using alternative routes that could result in delays or cancellations.

A flight by Russia’s Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), bound for Tehran returned to Moscow after the closure, according to Flightradar24 data.

Earlier on Wednesday, Germany issued a new directive cautioning the country’s airlines from entering Iranian airspace, shortly after Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), rejigged its flight operations across the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region.

The United States already prohibits all U.S. commercial flights from overflying Iran and there are no direct flights between the countries.

Airline operators like flydubai and Turkish Airlines have canceled multiple flights to Iran in the past week.

“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defence, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”

A Ukraine International Airlines jet was downed by Iran’s military in 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

Lufthansa said on Wednesday that it would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice while it would only operate day flights to Tel Aviv and Amman from Wednesday until Monday next week so that crew would not have to stay overnight. Some flights could also be canceled as a result of these actions, it added in a statement.

Italian carrier ITA Airways, in which Lufthansa Group is now a major shareholder, said that it would similarly suspend night flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday next week.

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At least 15 killed, dozens injured as protests rock Pakistan-administered Kashmir

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At least 15 people, including 11 civilians and four security personnel, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to local authorities.

The unrest was triggered by opposition to the reservation of 12 seats in the regional legislative assembly for Kashmiri refugees. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) called for a march to Muzaffarabad, but authorities banned the group, accused it of sedition, and ordered action against its leaders.

Despite the restrictions, thousands of protesters joined the march, leading to violent confrontations in several areas.

Dozens of people have also been injured, and concerns remain over further violence. Amnesty International has criticized the authorities’ response, citing mass arrests, internet shutdowns, and the use of excessive force against protesters.

The demonstrators are demanding the abolition of the reserved seats, arguing that all legislative seats should be contested by residents of the region. However, the region’s Supreme Court has ruled that the seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed through political or administrative measures.

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US hits China- and Hong Kong-based entities with sanctions over Iran weapons

The U.S. State Department also designated two ​companies and individuals based in ​Iran ⁠and Belarus in connection with Iran’s conventional arms-related activities, Treasury ⁠said.

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The ‌U.S. government on Wednesday said it was imposing sanctions against 11 people ​and entities, including several based ​in China and Hong Kong, ⁠for supporting weapons procurement by ​Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and ​the Iranian military, Reuters reported.

Nine of those designated were China- and Hong Kong-based individuals ​and companies that facilitated the ​procurement of weapons for Iran’s military, and ‌a ⁠Hong Kong-based company operating within Iran’s clandestine banking network, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets ​Control said ​in ⁠a statement.

The U.S. State Department also designated two ​companies and individuals based in ​Iran ⁠and Belarus in connection with Iran’s conventional arms-related activities, Treasury ⁠said.

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Pakistan says all aboard military helicopter killed in crash in Pakistani Kashmir

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All personnel on board ​a military helicopter have been ‌killed in a crash near Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir, Pakistan’s ​military said in a ​statement on Wednesday, without specifying ⁠the number of deaths.

“An ​Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army ​Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to technical fault,” ​the military said in ​a statement, Reuters reported. “There were no survivors.”

Rescue teams have ‌reached ⁠the site and a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the ​exact technical ​cause ⁠of the accident, it said.

The helicopter crashed ​while taking off and ​caught ⁠fire, a Reuters witness said, adding that firefighters were ⁠trying ​to control the ​flames.

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