Egypt instructs airlines to avoid Iranian airspace over military drills

Egypt's civil aviation ministry has said national carriers have been instructed to avoid "transiting over Iranian airspace" for three-hour intervals over two days, due to planned "military exercises".

The decision follows "notification received from Iranian authorities" warning civil aviation companies that Iran was holding "military exercises" on Wednesday.

The exercises were held between 11:30 am Tehran time (0800 GMT) and 2:30 pm on Wednesday, and will be held 4:30 am to 7:30 am on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Iran has not made any official announcements of military exercises at those timings.

The news comes as the region braces for a military retaliation from Iran against Israel, following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, in Tehran last week.

Both Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination and, along with Iran-linked Lebanese group Hezbollah, threatened reprisals.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind Haniyeh's killing.

Fears of regional escalation come 10 months into Israel's brutal war on Palestine's Gaza that has ravaged the enclave.