For the first time since the US and Israeli strikes on February 28, commercial flights have resumed from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport to Istanbul, Muscat, and Medina this weekend, marking a symbolic step toward normalizing Iranian air traffic. However, the recovery remains partial, with the Middle Eastern sky still under tension and a risk of jet fuel shortages in Europe due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. On April 25, Imam Khomeini Airport, Iran's main long-haul hub south of Tehran, officially resumed commercial operations. According to state television and IRNA, flights departed to Istanbul (Turkey), Muscat (Oman), and Medina (Saudi Arabia), the first international destinations restored after 56 days of shutdown. ISNA, citing the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, had earlier announced that authorities had given the green light for passenger flights to resume at both Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad Airport, the capital's other major airport primarily serving domestic routes. "Authorization to operate passenger flights at Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports has been issued as of April 20, 2026," ISNA stated, ending a closure of over a month. Iran Air, the national carrier, operated its first recovery flight between Tehran and Mashhad, the country's second-largest city and an important religious center, after a 56-day interruption. This inaugural flight, widely covered by official media, symbolizes the determination to restart a domestic network critical for internal mobility and Shia pilgrimage. According to IRNA, additional routes are scheduled in the coming days to Baku (Azerbaijan), Najaf and Baghdad (Iraq), and Doha (Qatar), confirming a gradual resumption of religious and transit flows in the region. "We are prioritizing the restart of the most essential routes, whether to major Iranian cities or key pilgrimage destinations," airport authorities told media. Mohammad Amirani, CEO of Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company, explained that the eastern part of the country—bordering Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan—will be prioritized for domestic and transit flights. This strategy aims to rebuild overflight and connection corridors using regional platforms less exposed to military tensions than the capital. Several provincial airports—Mashhad, Zahedan, Kerman, Yazd, and Birjand—are set to become major traffic redirection hubs. The Civil Aviation Authority also announced the gradual resumption of passenger flights in other cities such as Urmia, Abadan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Rasht, Gorgan, and Kerman, outlining a phased reactivation of Iran's entire airport network. The resumption of flights in Tehran occurs against a backdrop of a still deeply disrupted Middle Eastern sky due to the conflict that erupted in late February. On February 28, US and Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation, led to the partial or total closure of airspace in at least eight countries, including Iran, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Syria. While Iran has begun reopening its airports, authorities acknowledge they have initiated consultations with foreign airlines to clarify routes and attempt to attract transit traffic again. These discussions take place amid a fragile truce with the United States and as American envoys visit Pakistan for talks deemed decisive for possible peace negotiations. For international carriers, resuming stops in Iran and overflights of the region remains tightly conditioned by risk assessments, safety authority recommendations, and insurance policies. Since February 28, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recommended avoiding certain Middle Eastern areas, leading to long detours via the Caucasus, the Eastern Mediterranean, or the Arabian Peninsula.