TEHRAN – Several major European airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, and Swiss, have canceled flights to the Middle East on Friday evening and Saturday, impacting routes to Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia amid rising concerns over potential conflict involving Iran.
KLM has announced it will halt flights to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, making it one of the first major European carriers to suspend multiple Middle Eastern routes simultaneously.
The airline cited “geopolitical concerns” for its decision and stated that flights to the region will remain suspended until further notice.
Air France also canceled its flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai, citing the changing security situation in the region, though it did not specify when services would resume.
British Airways has paused its evening flights to Dubai, stating that it is monitoring the situation closely and evaluating whether additional route changes will be necessary.
Middle East is on edge as Tehran responds aggressively to the unprecedented US military buildup. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by multiple destroyers and warplanes, is set to arrive in the region in the coming days, Reuters reports, citing US officials.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that “massive force” is moving toward Iran, warning, “I’d rather not see anything happen, but we will see. We have an armada heading in that direction, and maybe we will not have to use it.” The strike group has been redeployed from the Asia-Pacific even as Trump publicly emphasizes talks after Iran’s brutal crackdown on protests, which left thousands dead.
In Tehran, the response has been fierce and defiant. Yahya Rahim Safavi, former Revolutionary Guard commander and adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, declared, “We are preparing for a decisive war with Israel. We possess weapons no one else has. The next war will end this conflict once and for all.”
Ali Abdollahi, another senior commander, warned that any attack on Iran would make US bases and interests “legitimate and accessible targets.” Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Pakpour added that Iran is prepared for all scenarios, “including an all-out war.”
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US of instigating unrest and warned that a full-scale confrontation would be “messy, ferocious, and far longer” than Israel or its allies anticipate.
