Exclusive; Flydubai to Voice of America: Flights to Iran are currently operating as scheduled

A spokesperson for Flydubai announced on Thursday, April 23, in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America: "Flydubai flights to Iran are currently operating as scheduled." The continuation of Flydubai flights to Iran comes at a time when the German airline Lufthansa stated on Thursday to the Persian section of Voice of America that it has extended the suspension of its flights to and from Tehran until Sunday, April 26, after a thorough assessment. This German airline emphasized in a private correspondence with the Persian section of Voice of America that the safety of passengers and crew is always its top priority. Lufthansa added that it does not solely rely on government assessments but also evaluates the current security situation before making decisions. Following the news of Lufthansa's response to Voice of America regarding the suspension of all its flights to and from Iran until Thursday, the airline mentioned in another exclusive email to a Voice of America reporter that it would decide on the continuation of the flight suspension based on daily assessments of the situation. Also see: Exclusive; Lufthansa to Voice of America: Suspension of flights to Iran extended until Sunday, April 26. On Wednesday, April 22, the Lufthansa airline announced that after a thorough assessment, it decided to suspend all its flights to and from Iran until Thursday due to the current situation in the Middle East. A spokesperson for the airline told Voice of America: "Considering the current conditions in the Middle East, Lufthansa has made this decision" and added: "We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with authorities; the safety and security of our passengers and crew members is a priority for Lufthansa." The Persian section of Voice of America has contacted foreign airlines operating in Iran and will report as soon as they receive responses. Following an airstrike attributed to Israel on April 13 against the Islamic Republic's consulate building in Damascus, Syria's capital, which resulted in the deaths of at least six senior commanders of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran has threatened retaliation; a threat that has heightened tensions in the Middle East. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on Wednesday that Israel must be punished for attacking the Iranian consulate in Damascus and that it will be punished. He referred to diplomatic sites as the territory of countries, despite the fact that during over four decades of the Islamic Republic's rule, the US embassy in Tehran was occupied, and at the same time, the diplomatic sites of Britain and Saudi Arabia were also attacked by his supporters. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, warned in response that if the Islamic Republic attacks Israel from its territory, Israel will respond with an attack on Iranian soil. After the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, in January 2020 and the IRGC's retaliatory missile attack on the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq, a Ukrainian plane was shot down by IRGC missiles, killing all on board. This incident led several airlines to take temporary measures such as suspending flights to Iran. Khamenei fears that any domino-like retreat will be repeated for him; an interpretation by Damoon Mohammadi of his recent positions. Khamenei explicitly retreated; an interpretation by Damoon Golriz of the latest position of the leader of the Islamic Republic regarding Israel. Khamenei threatened Israel with "punishment"; Israel says it will respond powerfully to any attack. Lufthansa to Voice of America: Flights to and from Iran temporarily suspended due to "current regional conditions." The Islamic Republic is at a crossroads of "strategic patience" or "harsh revenge"; the commander of the IRGC Navy: We do not act emotionally or hastily. A senior member of Congress noted the threat from the Islamic Republic: Americans remain at risk in the Middle East. Israel says it is prepared for a possible confrontation with the Islamic Republic. The CENTCOM commander is on the verge of a trip to Israel; the potential attack by the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups on Israel is the focus of discussions.