Flydubai, Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s Ajet, and Pegasus Airlines all cancelled flights to Iranian cities, including Tehran, Shiraz, and Mashhad.Two flights between Qatar’s Doha and Tehran were also cancelled, as confirmed by Hamad International Airport. . The cancellations follow widespread anti-government protests in Iran, which began in late December over economic hardships and inflation.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused demonstrators of acting on behalf of émigré opposition groups and the United States, as rights groups reported police firing on protesters.In full . At least 17 flights between Dubai and Iranian cities including Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad scheduled for Friday and operated by flydubai have been cancelled, the Dubai Airports website showed.A countrywide internet blackout was reported in Iran on
Thursday and extended into Friday as authorities moved to curb expanding protests.The Iranian government was already battling an economic crisis after years of sanctions, and recovering from its June war against Israel.
Rights groups have accused Iranian security forces of opening fire on demonstrators, with the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights saying yesterday that security forces had killed at least 45 protesters, including eight minors, since the demonstrations began
According to the specialist website Flight Radar, a Turkish Airlines plane flying to Shiraz and a Pegasus flight to Mashad turned back from Iranian space last night.
Turkey shares a border of around 500 kilometers (300 miles) with Iran, and there are three active land crossings between the two countries.
