Lufthansa Suspends Flights To Iran Citing Heightened Tensions

German airlines Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Tehran for 24 hours amid concerns of a potential military escalation, the company told Iran International.

In response to an inquiry, a company spokesperson said, "Due to the current situation in the Middle East, Lufthansa has decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, April 11, 2024. We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. The security and safety of our guests and crew members have top priority for Lufthansa."

Iran has been threatening to retaliate against an Israeli missile strike on April 1 that killed two top IRGC generals and five other officers in its embassy compound in Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday that Israel should be punished.

Bloomberg quoted anonymous sources on Wednesday as saying that that a major Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel is imminent in the coming days, after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called for retaliation. “The potential assault, possibly using high-precision missiles, may happen in the coming days." It added that the United States is “helping Israel on planning and sharing intelligence assessment."

According to Axios, the top US military commander in charge of the Middle East is expected to travel to Israel on Thursday to coordinate around the possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, two Israeli officials said. CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla is expected to meet senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.