Publish Date: 23 January 2020 - 17:02

TEHRAN, Jan. 23 (MNA) – Emphasizing Iran is safe for air travel, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami said that Iran’s sky is one of the safest in the world.

“The complete security of the Iranian sky for international flights is always known around the world and this high-security factor is not compromised,” said Eslami.

Following the Iranian missile strikes targeting US forces in Iraq, as well as the accidental downing of Ukrainian passenger jet near Tehran, several major airlines have rerouted or canceled flights in the region, however, Qatar Airways, Emirates and several other regional airlines still fly in Iranian airspace and to cities in both countries.

The incident came hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two American military bases in neighboring Iraq to respond to the US assassination of a senior Iranian military commander in the Arab country earlier this month.

A Ukrainian plane with 176 people on board was unintentionally downed near the capital city of Tehran on January 8 by IRGC Aerospace amid the heightened tensions between Iran and the US on Jan. 8. The victims include mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, and four British nationals.

MNA/IRN 83644984