European air carriers scuttle M.East service in face of US-Iran tensions

Several European airlines have suspended or adjusted flights to destinations in the Middle East, citing security concerns over rising tensions between the US and Iran and fears of wider disruption across the Persian Gulf.

Air France said late Friday that it had "temporarily" suspended services to Dubai over the situation in the region, stressing that the safety of passengers and crew remains its "absolute imperative."

"Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the company has decided to temporarily suspend its service to Dubai," the airline said in a statement, adding that it is closely monitoring developments to ensure "the highest level of safety and security" for its operations.

The carrier canceled two Paris-Dubai flights on Friday, resulting in the cancellation of two return flights from Dubai to Paris scheduled for Saturday.

Air France said further details on its schedule would be announced later.

Dutch flag carrier KLM also halted flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, as well as Tel Aviv until further notice. The company said it is avoiding airspace over several Gulf countries, along with Iran, Iraq, and Israel, as a precautionary measure.

Luxembourg flag carrier Luxair canceled several flights to Dubai. The carrier said a flight scheduled to depart for Dubai on Saturday morning was canceled and postponed 24 hours due to concerns over the situation in the Middle East, RTL News reported.

Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it had suspended flights to Tehran until March 28, while services to Tel Aviv and Jordan's capital Amman would operate only during daytime hours until the end of the month.

British Airways earlier this month temporarily halted flights to Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

The disruptions followed remarks by US President Donald Trump that American naval assets were being deployed to the Middle East, raising concerns of possible military action against Iran over a government crackdown on public protests.

Trump said Thursday that a US naval "armada" was heading toward the Gulf, while the Pentagon confirmed that the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln had been redirected from the South China Sea to the region.