France, Austria halt Iran flights over Israel tensions, warn against travel in Middle East

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - France has canceled all flights to Iran and warned its citizens not to travel to Iran and several other Middle Eastern countries due to growing tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel.

French airline Air France said on Saturday that it would suspend all flights to Iran due to threats in the region, as flights over Israel have also been restricted due to Iranian threats.

The French Foreign Ministry has also warned its citizens not to travel to Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine due to threats from Iran and Israel that have complicated the situation in the Middle East.

Austrian Airlines announced on Friday that it had suspended all flights from Vienna to Tehran until November 18 due to threats from Iran and Israel; the airline prioritized passenger and crew member safety in this decision. In the meantime, the Austrian government urged its citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible.

Germany has previously asked its citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible because of growing regional security threats.

On the evening of April 1, 2024, Israeli warplanes targeted a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, killing 18 people, including six commanders and military advisers of the Revolutionary Guards and one head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Corps in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Tehran has threatened to retaliate against Israel, and intelligence reports suggest that Iran will launch intensive missile attacks against Israel at any moment.