Iran has released multiple Notices to the Airmen (NOTAMs) restricting airspace east of Tehran in central Semnan province which is home to ballistic missile test ranges from February 9. It has closed its airspace in the central parts of the country until further notice.
The notifications cover rocket launches, gunfire, drones, and missile activity, as tracked by aviation monitors and shared maps from OSINT accounts.
The routine procedure by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) comes amidst the recent nuclear talks between the United States and Iran in Oman and Israeli concerns over Tehran’s nuclear assets.
Users on X are now speculating Iran closed its airspace for military drills or tests. While some users called it a ‘sovereign signal’, claiming that the regime is ready to exert their influence and power, others see it simply as a series of test runs.
Iran prepared to strike
Brigadier General Abdureza Abed, the commander of the Khatam ol-Anbiya Construction Unit, the engineering and construction wing of the IRGC previously stated, “The outcome of all these hostile moves has been nothing but defeat against the Iranian nation’s will.”
“At this sensitive juncture, the enemies still seek to confront the Iranian nation, but they will fail as in the past”, he added further.
Iran also revealed a new underground missile city operated by IRGC, the Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile also known by its operational name Kheibar.
Khorramshahr-4, which has a high-mass warhead and an operating range of roughly 2,000 kilometers, is a member of Iran’s heavy ballistic missile class. Because of its high speed, which can reach many times the speed of sound throughout different flight stages, missile defense systems’ warning and interception windows are significantly reduced.
Khorramshahr-4’s inclusion into underground launch platforms delivers a strong strategic message that there is a robust second-strike capability.
The missile is now an active component of Iran’s defensive-offensive posture, which is based on the concept of “active deterrence,” also made evident by the timing of its launch, which coincided with both overt and covert security threats from the United States and Israel.
