Lufthansa to Voice of America: We Decide Daily on the Continuation of Flight Suspensions to Iran

Lufthansa announced on Thursday that it is extending the suspension of flights from Frankfurt to Tehran due to security concerns until Saturday, April 14. This comes after the news of Lufthansa's response to Voice of America regarding the complete halt of all flights to and from Iran until Thursday, April 13. The airline stated in a separate email to Voice of America that it will make decisions about the continuation of flight suspensions based on daily assessments of the situation. On Wednesday, Lufthansa announced that after careful evaluation, it has decided to suspend all flights to and from Iran until Thursday, April 11 due to the current situation in the Middle East. A spokesperson for the airline told Voice of America, 'Given the current conditions in the Middle East, Lufthansa has made this decision,' adding, 'We are continuously monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with authorities; the safety and security of our guests and crew members are a priority for Lufthansa.' Following an airstrike on April 2 against the Islamic Republic's consulate building in Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the deaths of at least six IRGC commanders, Tehran has threatened retaliation, escalating tensions in the region. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on Wednesday that Israel must be punished for its attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and that it will be punished. Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, also warned 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 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, the PS752 flight of Ukrainian Airlines was shot down by IRGC missiles, killing all on board. This tragedy has led airlines to adopt special safety and security measures when tensions in the region escalate beyond a certain threshold. Khamenei fears that any domino effect of retreat could be repeated for him; this is an interpretation by Damon Mohammadi of his recent positions. Khamenei has threatened to 'punish' Israel; Israel claims it will respond powerfully to any attack. Lufthansa has temporarily canceled flights to and from Iran due to 'current regional conditions.' The Islamic Republic stands at a crossroads of 'strategic patience' or 'hard revenge'; the commander of the IRGC Navy stated: 'We do not act emotionally or hastily.' A senior member of Congress noted that Americans in the Middle East remain at risk due to threats from the Islamic Republic. Israel claims it is prepared for a possible confrontation with the Islamic Republic. The commander of CENTCOM 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.