Russia recommends to suspend flights over Iran and Iraq

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, known as Rosaviation, on Wednesday recommended the country's airlines suspend flights over Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

It insisted that carriers avoid both direct and transit flights in the area, citing "safety risks".

"In connection with information about safety risks to international civil air traffic, Rosaviation recommends not to use the airspace over the territories of Iran, Iraq, the Persian and Gulf of Oman for flights of civil aircraft of the Russian Federation, including transit flights, until further notice," the agency said.

Early Wednesday Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq.

Iran's actions were in retaliation for last week’s U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.