Asia Tech Wire (Oct 14) -- Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) said on Saturday that passengers are banned from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board for safety reasons.

A spokesperson for the organization said passengers are prohibited from bringing any electronic communication devices into the cabin except for cell phones.

The new rules apply to carry-on and checked baggage, while pagers and walkie-talkies are among the banned devices.

Earlier this month, Emirates, the Middle East's largest air carrier, also issued an announcement banning passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on flights to, from or via Dubai.

Tensions in the Middle East have risen since a new round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted last October.

A few weeks ago, there was a sudden escalation in the military conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

On September 17 and 18, devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously across the country, killing at least 37 people and injuring some 3,000 others.

The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have accused Israel of orchestrating the bombings, and Israel has yet to respond publicly.

Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month, striking Israeli military and security targets in retaliation for a series of military and assassination campaigns carried out by Israel against Iran, Lebanon and Palestine since the current round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel said the attack crossed a red line, saying it would make Iran pay.