Lufthansa airlines suspends Tehran flights, citing Middle East conflict

Germany’s Lufthansa airline has suspended flights to Iran, citing “the current situation in the Middle East” amid rising fears of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.

“We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority,” a spokesperson for the company told Reuters.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel “must be punished” for attacking Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing several senior Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders.

Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian commercial airliner in 2020, killing all 176 people on board after its forces were on high alert for a US strike following the killing of Commander Qassem Soleimani.