Flights have now resumed at Tehran’s main international airport after a brief but tense suspension over the weekend.
The closure happened because of military exchanges between Iran and Israel, which also led neighboring countries like Iraq and Syria to shut their airspace. This created significant disruption and safety concerns for airlines operating in the region. The quick decision to reopen, especially for religious pilgrimage flights for the Hajj season, suggests Iranian authorities believe the immediate danger has passed.
However, this doesn't mean it's business as usual for everyone. International aviation bodies, particularly the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), still have active Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIBs) in place. These advisories recommend that airlines avoid flying over Iran. So, while Iran has reopened its airport, most major international carriers will likely continue to reroute their flights, adding time and cost to journeys between Europe and Asia.
The financial markets have reacted with caution but not panic. First, oil prices saw a brief spike, a typical reaction to instability in the Middle East. This is what's known as a 'risk premium'—prices rise due to the possibility of a supply disruption, not an actual one. Second, this volatility was short-lived because major oil-producing nations, under the OPEC+ alliance, recently confirmed they would stick to their production plans, calming fears of a major oil shortage. This helped contain the economic fallout.
Iran's ability to restart operations so quickly wasn't improvised. They had a recent precedent from April 2026, when the airport reopened after a much longer, nearly two-month closure. That experience provided a ready-made playbook for security procedures and staffing, allowing for a swift restart this time. The long-term memory of the tragic downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in 2020 also continues to influence the cautious stance of international regulators.
- Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIBs): Official notices from aviation authorities advising airlines to avoid flying over specific high-risk areas due to conflict.
- Risk Premium: An increase in the price of an asset (like oil) to compensate for the higher risk and uncertainty associated with it, such as geopolitical instability.
- OPEC+: An alliance of oil-exporting countries, including the 13 OPEC members and 10 other major non-OPEC producers, that cooperate to manage the global oil supply.