Some airlines have continued to suspend flights between the United States and the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
United Airlines announced that it will suspend daily flights between New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport and Dubai “due to regional conflict.” The airline did not specify when flights between the two destinations would resume. United only flies to Dubai from Newark Airport.
American Airlines has announced that it will temporarily suspend flights between Philadelphia International Airport and Doha, Qatar. An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that the suspension will last until June 22. The last flight from Philadelphia to Doha before the suspension departed early Thursday morning, according to the airline.
Delta Air Lines announced last week that it was suspending flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline said the suspension will last until August 31.
Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main airport, is currently closed. American airlines do not fly to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran’s largest airport. International airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Lufthansa have canceled some routes in the region, according to the air travel news website AviationA2Z.
Other flight activity has been suspended in the days following Israel’s launch of “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran. Israel has been bombing nuclear and military targets in Iran since late last week, claiming that intelligence indicates Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons. Iran has launched a barrage of retaliatory missile strikes. Following Israel’s launch of Operation Rising Lion, airspace over Israel, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq was closed, with the Ministry of Transportation stating that it would remain so until further notice.
President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” A senior intelligence source and a Defense Department official told CBS News on Wednesday that President Trump is considering striking Iran and officially joining Israel’s air campaign. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the president will decide whether to call a strike within the next two weeks.
On Thursday, the US Embassy in Jerusalem informed US citizens in Israel that the State Department was planning to “assist with private U.S. citizens’ departure from Israel.” Some have been evacuated to cruise ships.
The State Department recently issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Israel, warning Americans not to travel there because of “armed conflict, terrorism, and civil unrest.” ” Iran has been issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory, the highest level, “due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens, and wrongful detention,” according to the State Department.
