Commercial flights over western Iran diverted without explanation

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 18, 2024 10:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Commercial flights began diverting from their routes over western Iran early Friday morning without explanation as one semiofficial news agency in the Islamic Republic claimed there had been "explosions" heard over the city of Isfahan, while state television acknowledged "loud noise."

The move comes as tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran's unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel.

ABC News is reporting that Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran, citing a U.S. official.

Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting flights around western Iran about 4:30 a.m. local time. They offered no explanation, though local warnings to aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed.

The semiofficial Fars news agency reported on the sound of explosions over Isfahan near its international airport. It offered no explanation for the blast.

Isfahan is home to a major airbase for the Iranian military, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program. Iran's government offered no immediate comment.

Iranian state television began a scrolling, on-screen alert acknowledging a "loud noise" near Isfahan, without immediately elaborating.