Germany's Lufthansa suspends flights to and from Tehran amid Middle East Crisis

Germany's Lufthansa on Wednesday said after careful evaluation it decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until probably Thursday, April 11, "due to the current situation in the Middle East". Countries in the region and the United States have been on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran in response to a supspected bombing by Israeli warplanes of the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1.

Germany's Lufthansa on Wednesday said after careful evaluation it decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until probably Thursday, April 11, "due to the current situation in the Middle East".

Countries in the region and the United States have been on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran in response to a supspected bombing by Israeli warplanes of the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. "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, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be" for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus. In an apparent response to Khamenei, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel will respond if Iran attacks Israel from its own soil.

Iran backs groups that have entered the fray across the region since Israel launched its invasion of Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in six months of Israeli bombardment of Gaza, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

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