Iran to resume international flights as Qatari and Kuwaiti airlines also ease flight restrictions

International flights from Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport will resume Saturday, Iran's state-run ISNA news agency reported Friday, days after the Iranian regime announced the reopening of its airspace amid the ceasefire with the U.S.

The first flights to resume will be to Istanbul and Muscat, the announcement said. Iran's airspace was shut when the U.S. and Israel launched their war with the country on Feb. 28, and it has been slow to reopen during the ceasefire, which President Trump said earlier this week was being extended indefinitely to make room for diplomacy.

Officials announced last week that Mashhad airport, which serves the country's second city in its far northeast, was reopening on Monday. On Friday, public tracking data showed at least two international flights departing the airport, to Turkey and Oman respectively.

Iran Air, the country's flagship carrier, reopened domestic routes after a 50-day suspension on Wednesday.

Qatar Airways announced Thursday that it was resuming flights between Doha and "key destinations across the Middle East," including to Dubai, Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates and Syria. Kuwait Airways has also announced it will resume flights to several destinations on Sunday.

While flights have been canceled due to the threat of missiles and drones flying across the Persian Gulf region, airlines have also been hit hard by the price of jet fuel roughly doubling since the war began, as attacks in the region and shipping gridlock in the Strait of Hormuz constrains production and transportation petroleum products.

KLM-France, Lufthansa and Delta are among the airlines that have cut down flight routes and increased ticket prices.

CBS/AFP