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Air France suspends air travel to Iran, Iraq

January 8, 2020 at 11:52 am

Air France plane on 23 November 2012 [Wikipedia]

French flag carrier Air France on Wednesday suspended travel over Iraqi and Iranian airspace, Anadolu Agency reports.

The action comes in light of Iran’s ballistic missile strikes on at least two Iraqi facilities housing US personnel.

Fears of further military action in the Mideast and growing concerns over war caused the temporary halt to air travel to the two countries.

“Flight plans are adjusted in real time according to the decisions of the French and regional authorities, throughout the world, in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety,” Air France said in a statement.

LIVE BLOG: Iran launches large attack on US-led forces in Iraq

Early Wednesday Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq.

Iran’s actions were in retaliation for last week’s U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.

Singapore Airlines had already diverted flights from Iranian airspace. The US Federal Aviation Administration has also said it would ban carriers from conducting travel in the region over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman.