Germany's Lufthansa Suspends Flights to Tehran Until Thursday - Spokesperson

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - German flag air carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, a spokesperson for the company has said, citing security threats as the reason.

"[Lufthansa], after a thorough evaluation, has decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, April 11, 2024 ... The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority," German newspaper FAZ quoted the spokesperson as saying on Wednesday.

The spokesperson did not give specific reasons for suspending flights but said the decision was due to "the current situation in the Middle East."

In recent years, Lufthansa has suspended air service with Tehran several times - in particular, following the mass protests after the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in 2022 and a drone attack on the city of Isfahan.

On April 1, Israel carried out an airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members had been killed in the attack, including two commanders. The Syrian Health Ministry said the next day that the attack had also killed four Syrians and injured 13 more.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it "reserves the right" to respond to the Israeli attack and "punish the aggressor." Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also vowed that Israel would pay a "heavy price" for the strike.