German airline Lufthansa announces extension of suspension of flights to Iran, Israel

(MENAFN) German airline Lufthansa announced on Friday that it will be extending the suspension of flights to Tehran and Tel Aviv until September 2 due to ongoing security concerns in the region. Additionally, flights to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, will remain halted until at least September 30, as tensions in the region rise and fears of a potential conflict between Israel and Hezbollah grow.

While flights to Beirut remain suspended, Lufthansa stated that it will resume operations to other destinations in the region. Specifically, flights to Amman, the capital of Jordan, and Erbil, a city in northern Iraq, will restart from August 27. These routes had been suspended earlier this month but are now considered safe enough to resume.

This decision by Lufthansa comes amid intense diplomatic efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. There is hope that a cease-fire could also reduce the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, which have been heightened by recent events.

Israel is currently on high alert for potential retaliatory actions from Iran and Hezbollah following the recent assassinations of key figures in the region, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut. These developments have contributed to the heightened security concerns that led Lufthansa to extend the suspension of flights to certain destinations.

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