Iran has prohibited the use of pagers and walkie-talkies on all flights, according to local media reports on Saturday. This ban comes just weeks after devastating sabotage attacks in Lebanon, which were attributed to Israel.
"The introduction of any electronic communication device, other than mobile phones, into flight cabins or... in unaccompanied cargo, has been prohibited," stated ISNA news agency, quoting Jafar Yazerlo, the spokesperson for Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation.
This decision was made more than three weeks after sabotage attacks aimed at members of the Iran-allied Hezbollah group in Lebanon. These attacks involved pagers and walkie-talkies exploding, resulting in the deaths of at least 39 people. Nearly 3,000 others were injured in the incident, which both Iran and Hezbollah blamed on Israel, including Tehran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
Earlier this month, Dubai-based airline Emirates also banned pagers and walkie-talkies on its planes. Regional tensions have escalated since the start of the Gaza war in October last year, involving Iran-aligned groups from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Several airlines have suspended flights to Iran in recent weeks following Tehran's missile attack on Israel on October 1. Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Israel has since vowed to retaliate, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stating that the response will be "deadly, precise, and surprising."
