• Iran temporarily closed its airspace amid fears of US military action.
• The closure forced many airlines to cancel or reroute flights.
• Airspace restrictions lasted for nearly five hours.
• The FAA reported the closure due to heightened military tensions.
• IATA and Safe Airspace indicated increased risks to civil aviation.

Iran temporarily closed its airspace to most flights, allowing only those with official permission from the Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO) to operate. This restriction took effect on January 14, 2026, amid rising concerns regarding potential military action from the United States, as indicated by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and various news sources. The airspace was closed for roughly five hours due to fears that President Donald Trump was contemplating a response to Iran's domestic unrest and anti-government protests, which had intensified recently, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

The restrictions forced several airlines, including Lufthansa and Scoot, to cancel or reroute flights. Lufthansa confirmed it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace indefinitely, while other airlines like flydubai and Turkish Airlines also suspended operations due to safety concerns. As early as 6:05 a.m. local time, only a few flights were observed in Iranian airspace, increasing the operational challenges for airlines with routes passing through the region, as noted by Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The airspace was reopened shortly after 10 p.m. ET (0300 GMT), as the tensions appeared to ease slightly. However, the situation remains precarious, with the presence of missile and drone threats in the region posing a significant risk to commercial aviation. Safe Airspace warned that such closures could indicate preparations for further military activity, exacerbating the threat to civil aircraft due to potential misidentification, as highlighted by Al Jazeera, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.

Previously, the FAA issued months of advisories warning against commercial overflights in Iranian airspace due to heightened risks, which were reinforced by the tragic downing of a Ukrainian flight in 2020. Observations of minimal air traffic during the closure underscored the severe implications of the ongoing geopolitical climate in the region, as outlined by Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.