Iran shuts down airspace for flights to or from Iran

CAIRO - Iran issued a Notice to Airmen alert late on Wednesday night, closing its airspace to all flights except international flights with prior permission from the country, media reported.

The notice said that the prohibition will remain in effect for more than two hours until 4:00 am local time (0030 GMT), but could be extended.

The US virtual embassy in Iran on Tuesday urged US citizens to leave the country.