Commercial flights have resumed at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport following a 58-day suspension caused by the US-Israel war on Iran. The reopening of the airport's airspace comes as the United States faces a critical legislative deadline regarding the continuation of hostilities.
Iranian authorities announced the resumption of flights at the airport, which had been closed since the launch of the conflict. According to Al Jazeera, air traffic began returning gradually on April 25, with eight domestic airlines now operating flights to 15 destinations, including Istanbul, Muscat, China, and Russia.
Despite the resumption, flight volumes remain a fraction of pre-war levels. Before the conflict, the airport typically handled 150 flights per day. Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, told Al Jazeera that the return of foreign carriers will depend on political stability and individual risk assessments.
While the airport infrastructure is reported to be 95 percent ready, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization stated that 20 aircraft were destroyed and are no longer operational.
Casualties and Maritime Crisis
While aviation is slowly recovering, the maritime sector faces a mounting death toll. The head of Iran’s merchant marine union, Saman Rezaei, reported to Al Jazeera that at least 44 Iranian seafarers have been killed and 29 injured since the start of the war.
Rezaei, representing the Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate, provided a breakdown of the fatalities to Al Jazeera, including 22 civilian sailors, 16 fishermen, and six dock workers killed between February 28 and April 1. He noted that these figures do not include members of the Iranian navy killed by US and Israeli forces.
Rezaei has submitted complaints to the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), attributing the deaths to attacks on Iranian ports and commercial fleets in the Gulf and territorial waters. He also reported that nine seafarers remain missing and described the psychological distress of crews trapped in war zones for 60 days.
Global Labor Unrest
The conflict in the Middle East and rising energy costs are driving widespread labor demonstrations on International Labour Day. In various parts of the world, trade unions are protesting the economic impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The European Trade Union Confederation stated to the media that working people refuse to pay the price for the war. In the Philippines, leaders of the SENTRO group and the Bayan political group told news outlets that the situation is deeply connected to the global crisis and that unprecedented spikes in fuel prices will lead to calls for economic relief.
In South America, protests have been reported in Chile, Bolivia, and Venezuela. In Argentina, workers in Buenos Aires protested against the overhaul of labor protections by President Javier Milei. Meanwhile, in Cuba, the foreign ministry held a gathering in response to what it termed US aggressions and an energy siege.
In the United States, the political future of the conflict remains uncertain. France 24 reports that US lawmakers are deadlocked over the War Powers Resolution. This legislation requires Congress to approve continued military action or withdraw troops once hostilities reach the 60-day mark, a deadline that is now approaching without a legislative agreement.
