Iran advises pilots to steer clear as the country plans rocket launches
Iran's NOTAM comes amid heightened tensions with the US, which has deployed warships near the Islamic Republic. US Vice President JD Vance reportedly said Washington was weighing whether to continue diplomatic engagement with Tehran or pursue other options.
IRAN issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) on Thursday, warning of potential rocket activity in the airspace. It was issued amid escalating tensions with the US, which has deployed warships near the Islamic Republic.
US Vice President JD Vance reportedly said Washington was weighing whether to continue diplomatic engagement with Tehran or pursue other options.
According to the alert, pilots are advised to avoid flying between ground level and Flight Level 100 in the affected region due to safety risks linked to possible launches, as shown by the Flightradar24 tracker.
The NOTAM mentioned that Iran has planned rocket launches in areas across its south on Thursday from 330 GMT to 1330 GMT, news agency Reuters reported, citing the US Federal Aviation Administration website.
Iran-US tensions
Tensions between Iran and the US escalated after Washington dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East following Iran’s deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month.
On Monday, 16 February, Iran said that the United States' position on Iran's nuclear programme "has moved towards a more realistic one", reported AFP.
The two nations recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month.
Iran-US talks
Following the second round of talks on Tuesday, Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Islamic Republic of its right to nuclear enrichment.
"The basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment. Whatever you want to do in the nuclear process, you need nuclear fuel," said Eslami, according to a video published by Etemad daily on Thursday.
“Iran's nuclear programme is proceeding according to the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and no country can deprive Iran of the right to peacefully benefit from this technology,” reported AFP, citing the video.
What did Trump say?
On Wednesday, Donald Trump once again suggested the United States might strike Iran in a post on his Truth Social site.
He warned Britain against giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying that the archipelago's Diego Garcia airbase might be needed if Iran did not agree to a deal, "to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime".
