Washington Issues Warning to Airlines Flying over Gulf
The Federal Aviation Administration has warned US airlines
flying over the Gulf to exercise caution "due to heightened military
activities and increased political tensions in the region."
The advisory, which also covers airspace over the Gulf of
Oman, comes amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.
Increased tensions in the region "present an increasing
inadvertent risk to US civil aviation operations due to the potential for
miscalculation or mis-identification,” said the FAA advisory released late
Thursday.
The regulator also warned that aircraft flying in the area
could encounter "inadvertent GPS interference and communications jamming,
which could occur with little to no warning."
Washington has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln and its
carrier strike group, and B-52 bombers to the region against what it claims is
an imminent threat from Tehran.
President Donald Trump's administration has also ordered
non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed
Iraqi armed groups.
