Tehran has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) suspending all commercial flights, allowing only select international operations with prior clearance. When a nation takes radical measures such as grounding its skies, it can signal either anticipation of incoming threats or an effort to prevent departures.
The NOTAM was issued January 14, 2026, and suspends most commercial flights, allowing only pre-cleared international operations due to escalating nationwide anti-government protests, high tensions, internet blackouts and security concerns. The move has prompted airlines to reroute or cancel flights, with significant risk of mis-identification by air defenses, recalling the past shoot down of Flight 752.
Governments are advising people to leave Iran if it is safe to do so, as flights are disrupted, though some land crossings remain open.