Major U.S. airlines have suspended some flights to the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran conflict.
Nearly a week ago, Israel bombarded Iran’s nuclear facilities and hit military targets in the region, killing several of Tehran’s top military leaders and leading nuclear scientists in the process. Iran has launched heavy retaliatory strikes against Israel.
The Independent previously reported Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv amid the strikes and now U.S. carriers are grounding flights to other Middle Eastern countries as the conflict intensifies.
United Airlines suspended flights between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Dubai Thursday, citing, “conflict in the region,” CBS News reported.
The carrier said it would lift the suspension “when it’s safe,” per Bloomberg.
American Airlines also suspended its flights from Philadelphia International Airport to Doha, Qatar, Thursday until June 22, according to CBS News and Bloomberg.
“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation further as needed,” American Airlines said, per Bloomberg.
Dubai and Doha are the two of the most important travel hubs in the Middle East, connecting the region to the U.S., Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
As the Israel-Iran conflict continues, with Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz vowing that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “cannot continue to exist,” President Donald Trump said he will make a decision on whether to strike Iranian nuclear facilities within the next two weeks.
Israel is the U.S.’s biggest ally in the region, but Trump says he has been working on a diplomatic solution to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump in a statement read by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Thursday.
