Iran Restores Air Traffic Following De-escalation Signals and Five-Hour Airspace Closure

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Iran officially reopened its national airspace after a nearly five-hour suspension triggered by fears of an imminent military strike by the United States. The resumption of flight operations followed public statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who indicated he had received high-level assurances that the Iranian government would stop the killing of protesters and halt planned executions within the country.

The closure, which had been in effect since the previous evening, was extended until 7:30 AM local time, forcing the redirection of several international flights. Iranian carriers, including Mahan Air, Yazd Airways, and AVA Airlines, were the first to take to the skies once the restrictions were lifted. This shift in the security posture came after President Trump revealed on January 14, 2026, that he had been contacted by "very, very important sources" from the other side regarding a cessation of the crackdown on demonstrators.

Amidst these developments, the case of 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani saw a significant turn; on January 15, Iranian state media announced that he would no longer face the death penalty. Although Soltani remains under investigation for charges that carry prison sentences, the decision marks a retreat from the previously sought capital punishment. This occurs against a backdrop of disputed casualty figures, with the human rights group HRANA reporting over 2,500 deaths during the unrest, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israel of inflating these numbers to provoke U.S. intervention.

The current geopolitical crisis was sparked by widespread protests that began in late December 2025, driven by a severe economic downturn and the collapse of the national currency. In Washington, President Trump’s national security circle, featuring Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been formulating various response strategies. The U.S. has already dispatched a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East, which is expected to reach the U.S. Central Command’s theater of operations in approximately one week.

As a precautionary measure, American authorities recently advised a portion of the personnel stationed at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar to evacuate. The base is a critical regional hub, housing roughly 10,000 military members and civilian specialists. Despite the temporary easing of military tensions, the internal situation in Iran remains highly restricted, with a nationwide internet blackout persisting since January 8, 2026. Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, the head of Iran’s judiciary, has pushed for the rapid prosecution of the 18,000 individuals currently in detention.

Economic pressure on the Iranian government has also intensified following the implementation of 25% tariffs on trade with Iran, which the U.S. administration enacted on January 12. This combination of military positioning and economic sanctions continues to shape the volatile environment. While the reopening of the airspace suggests a momentary pause in hostilities, the underlying issues of civil unrest and fiscal instability remain unresolved as the international community watches the region closely.