On Wednesday, January 14, Iran temporarily closed its airspace to all aircraft except for international flights that received appropriate permission. According to information from the Iranian Federal Aviation Administration, the initial restrictions were in place for two hours and were then extended until 07:30 the next day local time, DW reports.
On the same day, one European official informed Reuters about a possible U.S. attack on Iran that could occur within the next 24 hours. This statement followed threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that he might take "very tough actions" if Iranian authorities began issuing death sentences to protesters.
Trump: Executions of protesters in Iran are not planned
On January 14, Donald Trump stated that he had information from reliable sources indicating that executions of protesters in Iran are no longer planned. This statement came after the head of Iran's judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, mentioned the need for expedited trials of 18,000 detainees during the protests, which could lead to partial death sentences.
However, Iran's foreign minister stated in an interview with FOX News that there are "no plans for executions" in the country at all.
U.S. evacuates military personnel from base in Qatar
Also on January 14, U.S. authorities recommended that some military personnel and staff leave the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar – a key U.S. military base in the region, as reported by Reuters and AFP, citing CNN sources. One U.S. official described this step as a precautionary measure in light of the escalating situation.
Approximately 10,000 military and civilian personnel are permanently stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which serves as a command center for U.S. armed forces in the Middle East.
