TEHRAN – Iran has extended the previously-imposed ban on flights to and from the United Kingdom until the end of the current Iranian month of Bahman (February 18) to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus variant.

Tehran-London ticket sales, both direct and indirect, are prohibited, Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Chief Executive Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh said on Sunday, IRNA reported.

In December, the Islamic Republic halted flights to and from the United Kingdom, preliminary for two weeks, and then the ban was extended for one month at the discretion of the Health Ministry to prevent the transmission of the ‘British’ variant and to try to maintain public health.

The new coronavirus variant, which prompted the UK government to impose a Tier 4 lockdown in London and southeastern England, and tightened restrictions for all of England over the festive period, is “out of control,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on January 3 — the same day that the UK broke its daily coronavirus case record, recording 35,928 new cases.

The ensuing wave of travel bans has also cut off UK travelers from much of Europe and other parts of the world. Some experts believe that there was no evidence the new variant was more deadly or would react differently to vaccines, but it was proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.

ABU/MG