Tehran issues airspace warning; US boosts military presence amid rising tensions

Shafaq News/ On Monday, Tehran warned pilots and aviation authorities to avoid its airspace amid ongoing threats by Iran to attack Israel, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, while several airlines to suspend flights to Iran, Israel, and Lebanon in light of recent tensions.

Iran's notice followed a Sunday call where US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned G7 foreign ministers that Tehran could attack Israel as early as Monday, according to diplomats.

“The attacks could come within the next 24 to 48 hours,” Blinken said.

Unlike the April 13 Iranian attack on Israel, which involved nearly 350 drones and missiles intercepted by the US and Israel, Blinken noted that the specifics of this potential retaliation are still unclear.

In addition, he urged his counterparts to use diplomatic pressure on Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Israel to curb escalation, highlighting “US efforts to break the cycle of conflict.”

Tensions in the region rose after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political bureau head in Tehran, on Wednesday, following an Israeli raid in Beirut the previous day that killed Fouad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander allied with Iran.

Iran has blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s death and vowed retaliation. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has declared that the conflict with Israel has ‘entered a new phase’ and promised a ‘real, studied’ response rather than a symbolic one.

Recently, the US Department of Defense announced the deployment of additional fighter aircraft and Navy warships to the region.

On Sunday, President Biden expressed “hope” that Iran would reconsider its stance despite its threat of retaliation for Haniyeh's assassination.