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, preparing for a possible attack by Iran in response to a suspected 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 published a post in farsi, warning that Israel would respond to an attack from Iran, by striking on Iranian soil.
3 View gallery
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz
(Photo: AFP / EPA / CLAUDIO PERI)
U.S. President Joe Biden earlier said the U.S. commitment to protect Israel against any attack by Iran was iron clad. "We're going to do all we can to protect Israel's security," he said in a press conference at the White House.
Israel has been bracing for an attack from Iran and its proxies. On Wednesday, Energy Minister Eli Cohen assured the Israeli public that special measures were in place to prevent a prolonged black-out should Iran attack critical infrastructure.
"We have established an unprecedented backup system that allows us to redirect electricity within a short time to any affected area."
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.