Mysterious Announcement, Drills, and Deletion… Has Iran Closed Its Airspace?
Minutes after the Iranian Mehr News Agency announced the closure of Iranian airspace over Tehran, the agency deleted the report, denying its publication altogether.
Mehr News Agency, a semi-official news outlet, quoted Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani as saying, “Iran has suspended air traffic over the capital Tehran, effective midnight local time, due to military drills.”
An Imminent Attack?
The Biden administration believes an Iranian attack on Israel has become imminent, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.
This dramatic escalation comes days after an airstrike on an Iranian base in Damascus resulted in the killing of a senior commander and other officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, with Tehran blaming Israel for the attack and vowing to retaliate.
The Israeli military has been on high alert, anticipating possible attacks from Iran following the assassination, although it has not publicly claimed responsibility for the deadly airstrike in Damascus.
The Israeli Defense Forces are also preparing for a possible strike from Tehran by bolstering air defenses, jamming GPS systems, and canceling leaves for troops in combat units.
Bloomberg noted that the attack could come in the form of missile strikes or drones targeting Israeli government sites, either from Iran or its proxies in the region.
Flight Suspensions by Airlines
With the situation escalating, German airline Lufthansa announced on Wednesday that it would cancel flights to and from Tehran “due to the current situation in the Middle East.”
In a statement, Lufthansa said, “We are continuously monitoring the situation in the Middle East, and we are in close contact with the authorities.”
A Lufthansa spokesperson emphasized that “the safety of our guests and crew is Lufthansa’s top priority,” while the White House National Security Council declined to comment.
President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that “Iran threatens a major attack on Israel,” reaffirming that “the United States’ commitment to Israel is strong, and we will do everything in our power to protect its security.”
Iranian officials have been hinting for months at reluctance to engage in a full-scale war with Israel despite recent repeated attacks by Iran-backed proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated the need to punish Israel for the attack in Damascus.
Later, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz tweeted at Khamenei, warning that if Iran attacked his country, “we will respond in kind.”
Katz stated, “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will retaliate and strike within Iran.”
