Iran has issued a notice to pilots and aviation authorities advising them to avoid its airspace as the government threatens to strike Israel, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. This follows a warning from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Group of Seven foreign ministers that Tehran could potentially attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours. The exact nature of the attack remains unclear.
The notice from Tehran, which was sent out at 7:45 a.m. CET, is typically used by aviation authorities to provide real-time information to pilots that wasn’t known in advance. It essentially serves as a stay-away message for commercial and civilian aviation without any indication of what may follow.
Israel is currently on high alert, expecting an attack from Iran following the alleged assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. West Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied involvement but said it is prepared to defend against and respond to any retaliatory strike. Washington has also stated that it would help defend the Jewish state.
US officials have been working with their international partners to try to contain the growing tensions in the Middle East, as diplomatic sources indicate that Blinken told his counterparts on Sunday’s G7 call that if Iran’s retaliation against Israel is of a similar scale to April’s attack, it could close off any future engagement between Iran and the US.
In April, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to the Israeli bombing of its consulate in Syria. While most of these attacks were countered by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense systems, a few missiles did reach their targets, causing minimal damage to military installations.
Israeli media reported on Monday that West Jerusalem could launch a “preemptive strike” on Iran if it receives intelligence that Tehran is certain to stage a revenge attack. The situation remains tense and uncertain as both sides prepare for possible conflict.