‘Fly over Iran at your peril’

– The US has issued a fresh warning to airlines to exercise caution when operating in Iran’s airspace, citing concerns over military activity, including an unnamed US civil operator being intercepted by fighter jets in December 2017.

The updated guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration to US operators, issued on Sunday at the expiry of the prior year’s advisory, said there were also military activities emanating from or transiting through Iran’s airspace associated with the conflict in Syria.

Tensions ramped up between Iran and the US after President Donald Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic last month.

Flight Service Bureau, which provides safety information on airspace to airlines, said “without seeming alarmist”, the deteriorating relationship between the US and Iran must be taken into account when planning flights in Iran’s airspace.

“Although the reopening of Iraqi airspace in November last year has provided additional routing options ... there is no perfect route in the region, and operators must consider their preference for Iraq vs Iran,” the US-based group said in an e-mail to clients on Monday. – Reuters

Washington