Imam Khomenei airport resumes flights to Turkey and Oman as new Iran peace talks to begin

Imam Khomeini International Airport, one of Iran’s largest air hubs, resumed some international flights this morning, April 25. The first departures from the capital were bound for Muscat, Istanbul and Medina in Saudi Arabia, reports Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency.

Iranian airspace has remained largely closed since its conflict with the US and Israel began on February 28, leaving passenger flights suspended for nearly two months. On April 8, Pakistan announced that the US and Iran had reached a conditional two‑week ceasefire, which Donald Trump said he agreed to extend on April 21 while awaiting a proposal from Iran for further talks.

Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Friday that foreign passenger flights would resume on Saturday.

It comes as the US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are heading to Pakistan for Iran talks today, while Vice-President JD Vance is on standby to join.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed talks were taking place because Iran reached out to the US for an in-person meeting.

However, in a post on X, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said that although Abbas Araghchi had arrived in Pakistan, “no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US”, adding that “Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan”.

Mashhad airport in the country’s northeast—serving Iran’s second‑largest city—had already reopened earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said it carried out strikes in three areas of southern Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah rocket launchers.

The attacks hit the villages of Deir al‑Zahrani, Kfar Reman and al‑Sama’iya, all located north of current IDF positions in the south of the country.

On Thursday, Donald Trump announced that the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon — originally set to expire tomorrow — has been extended by three weeks. However, both parts have accused each other of breaching ceasefire conditions.