logo
Iran extends access to airspace for overflights after ceasefire

Iran extends access to airspace for overflights after ceasefire

CNA28-06-2025
TEHRAN: Iran has expanded access to its airspace for international overflights following a ceasefire with Israel, though flight restrictions remain in place across much of the country, an official said Saturday (Jun 28).
"In addition to the eastern half of the country's airspace being available for domestic, international and overflight operations, the airspace over the central and western parts of the country has now also been opened only for international overflights," Majid Akhavan, spokesman for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said in a statement carried by the IRNA state news agency.
Flights to and from airports in the north, south and west of the country, including Tehran's Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini international airports, remained suspended, according to Akhavan.
"All fellow citizens are requested not to go to airports located in the northern, southern and western regions of the country," he said, urging travellers to follow updates through official sources only.
The move comes after Iran reopened its eastern airspace on Wednesday, following a ceasefire that ended 12 days of fighting with Israel.
Iran had closed its skies entirely on June 13 after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes, prompting Iranian missile retaliation.
Airports now operating include Mashhad in eastern Iran - which Israel claimed to have targeted during the conflict - as well as Chabahar in the southeast.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release
Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release

CNA

time4 hours ago

  • CNA

Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release

JERUSALEM: Israel is considering Hamas' response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, officials said on Tuesday (Aug 19). The offer, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, would see Hamas exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners. But an Israeli political source insisted all captives must be freed for the war to end. Talks to pause the conflict gained traction last week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, the enclave's shattered urban centre. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL A Hamas official said the deal envisaged the release of 200 Palestinian convicts, along with women and minors held in Israeli jails. In return, Hamas would hand over 10 living hostages and 18 bodies. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, adding Hamas also sought the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees. Israel says 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 alive. 'Israel's policy is consistent and has not changed. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages … we are in the final decisive stage of Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind,' the political source said. NETANYAHU WEIGHS RESPONSE Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions on the offer, with a decision likely within two days, officials said. Qatar's foreign ministry said the deal would include 'a pathway to a comprehensive agreement to end the war,' alongside partial Israeli withdrawals and expanded humanitarian aid. Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff previously advanced the plan, but talks broke down in July over details. ISRAELI COMMANDERS PLAN PUSH INTO GAZA CITY Even as politicians deliberated, Defence Minister Israel Katz met commanders to review battle plans, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported. The plans included four phases: building humanitarian infrastructure in southern Gaza, evacuation of Gaza City, its encirclement, and a final ground push into the city. Thousands of civilians have fled Gaza City in recent days, fearing an imminent offensive. On Tuesday, Israeli strikes and shelling killed at least 20 Palestinians, Gaza health officials said. MIXED REACTIONS At shelters in Khan Younis, displaced families voiced both scepticism and hope. 'I expect the occupation to reject the proposal, as always,' said Abdallah Al-Khawaja. But Awad Labde, also displaced, said: 'I expect a positive response from Israel this time.' DOMESTIC PRESSURE ON NETANYAHU The prospect of an offensive has triggered some of the largest protests in Israel since the war began, with tens of thousands urging a deal to free the captives. Netanyahu faces competing pressures: far-right allies such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir oppose a truce, while hostage families demand immediate action. Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said the truce was an interim accord leading to wider talks. A Palestinian source added Hamas accepted the offer without new conditions, unlike past rounds. But wide gaps remain. Israel wants Hamas to disarm and its leaders to leave Gaza — demands the group has so far rejected. The war erupted when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced most of the enclave's 2.2 million residents.

Netanyahu slams Macron for fuelling 'antisemitic fire'
Netanyahu slams Macron for fuelling 'antisemitic fire'

CNA

time7 hours ago

  • CNA

Netanyahu slams Macron for fuelling 'antisemitic fire'

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused French President Emmanuel Macron of fuelling antisemitism by moving to recognise a Palestinian state, in a letter seen on Tuesday (Aug 19). The Israeli leader said antisemitism had "surged" in France since Macron's announcement last month and warned that the French move rewarded Hamas while endangering French Jews. Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, drawing sharp criticism from Israel. By making the announcement, Paris would join a growing list of countries that have recognised Palestinian statehood since the Gaza war began nearly two years ago. A French minister hit back on Tuesday, saying that the fight against antisemitism must not be "exploited". ISRAELI CRITICISM In his letter to Macron, Netanyahu said the French decision poured "fuel on this antisemitic fire". "It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas's refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets," he wrote. Netanyahu urged Macron to confront antisemitism directly and called on him to "replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve, and to do so by a clear date: the Jewish New Year, September 23". FRANCE RESPONDS Benjamin Haddad, France's minister for Europe, said the country has "no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism". The issue, he added, "which is poisoning our European societies" must not be "exploited". France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN member states that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally. Australia joined the list earlier this month, announcing its intention to extend recognition in September. TENSIONS WITH AUSTRALIA Netanyahu also lashed out at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews" in a post on his office's official X account. The comments came after Canberra cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, a member of Netanyahu's governing coalition. Rothman had been scheduled to speak at events organised by the Australian Jewish Association. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar then revoked the visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority in response.

Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer
Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer

CNA

time10 hours ago

  • CNA

Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer

JERUSALEM: A senior Israeli official on Tuesday (Aug 19) said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal. Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan, a day after Hamas signalled its readiness for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting that it was "almost identical" to an earlier version agreed to by Israel. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told AFP the government's stance had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal. The two foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire. Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Egypt said Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding "the ball is now in its court". Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that Hamas had given a "very positive response, and it truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to". "We cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made. But we do believe it is a positive point," he added. MOUNTING PRESSURE According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera News, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept "an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war". Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had "opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past". Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for the end of the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still being held captive. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The new proposal also comes after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, fanning fears the new offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir - who has staunchly opposed ending the war - slammed the plan, warning of a "tragedy" if Netanyahu "gives in to Hamas". "UNBEARABLE" Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 31 people were killed Tuesday by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said "artillery shelling continues intermittently". The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swaths of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Sabra resident Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said "tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are firing bullets and missiles" in the neighbourhood. "We heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is escalating the war against us, the civilians," he added. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store