ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Officials lowered the alert level for a volcano near Alaska’s largest city to normal Wednesday, which they said indicates that Mount Spurr is “quiet” months after showing signs of activity that raised the possibility of an eruption.
Over the past few months, signs of unrest at the 11,070-foot (3,374-meter) volcano near Anchorage have gradually decreased, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which added that no ground deformation has been detected since March. The observatory characterized the near-term chances of an eruption as “extremely low.”
It said small earthquakes continued to occur more frequently than before a period of unrest began in early 2024, and that volcanic gases were still being released. But the center said this is normal for volcanoes where magma has moved upward but has not erupted.
“Minor gas emissions and a slightly higher number of small earthquakes could persist for many months to several years,” the observatory said.
Mount Spurr is one of 53 volcanoes in Alaska that have been active within the last 250 years. The volcano has two main vents: the last known eruption from the summit vent was more than 5,000 years ago, while there were eruptions from the Crater Peak vent in 1953 and 1992, the observatory has said.
In October, the observatory raised its alert status for Mount Spurr from green, or normal, to a yellow advisory status when an increase in seismic activity became pronounced and a ground deformation was spotted in satellite data.
In March, the observatory said it had measured “significantly elevated volcanic gas emissions" from Mount Spurr and said signs indicated an eruption was likely, though not certain, in the weeks or months ahead. That prompted Anchorage's mayor to encourage residents to be prepared in case of an eruption that could produce ashfall in the city. Anchorage is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) from the volcano.
Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. The powdered rock can cause a jet engine to shut down.
FILE - This image provided by Alaska Volcano Observatory shows the summit of Mount Spurr, on Oct. 24, 2024, in Alaska. (Wyatt Mayo/Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey via AP, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday as tensions remained high with the United States over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
The closure ran for over four hours, according to pilot guidance issued by Iran, which lies on a key East-West flight route. International carriers diverted north and south around Iran, but after one extension, the closure appeared to have expired and several domestic flights were in the air just after 7 a.m.
Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. However, there were no signs of current hostilities though the closure immediately rippled through global aviation because Iran is located on a key East-West route for airlines.
“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said the website SafeAirspace, which provides information on conflict areas and air travel. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”
Iran in the past has misidentified a commercial aircraft as a hostile target. In 2020, Iranian air defense shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board. Iran for days adamantly dismissed allegations of downing the plane as Western propaganda before finally acknowledging it.
The airspace closure came as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” going to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Iran at the request of the United States on Thursday afternoon.
U.S. President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements Wednesday that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran.
In comments to reporters, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” to respond to the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the U.S. to find a solution through negotiation.
Asked by Fox News what he would say to Trump, Araghchi said: “My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don’t have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war.”
The change in tone by the U.S. and Iran came hours after the chief of the Iranian judiciary said the government must act quickly to punish the thousands who have been detained.
Activists warned that hangings of detainees could come soon. The security forces’ crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
A woman mourns next to the flag-draped coffins of a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, during their funeral ceremony, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A man hands out posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Policemen protect the British Embassy during a protest by hardline supporters of the Iranian government, as people ride on their motorbike in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
