Lufthansa Puts A Temporary Halt On Flights To Tehran Citing Middle East Crisis

Aviation giant Lufthansa DLAKY temporarily ceased its flights to Tehran due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

What Happened: Lufthansa has temporarily ceased its flights to Tehran, Reuters reported. This decision comes in the wake of heightened alert across the Middle East following a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

The German airline’s flight suspension began on Apr. 6 and is expected to last until at least April 11. This move reflects the company’s commitment to safety, as stated by a Lufthansa spokesperson: “The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority.”

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Amid these developments, an Iranian news agency erroneously reported the closure of Tehran’s airspace for military exercises, which was later retracted. The region remains tense since the Apr. 1 incident where Israeli warplanes allegedly targeted the Iranian embassy in Syria, leading to the death of seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including a senior Quds Force commander.

While Austrian Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, is still scheduled for its Vienna-Tehran flight, there has been no update from other international airlines regarding their flights to Tehran. The situation remains delicate as global powers, including the United States, brace for potential retaliatory attacks by Iran or its proxies.

Why It Matters: Lufthansa’s suspension, one of the only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, underscores the seriousness of the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Following the airstrike on the Iranian embassy, the U.S. has warned of potential Iranian strikes on Israeli targets, leading to a sharp rally in oil prices.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also vowed retaliation against Israel, stating that “The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished.”

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Image: Shutterstock/ Markus Mainka.