Lufthansa Group has announced its airlines will avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace “until further notice” amid the escalating threats of a U.S. military strike from Donald Trump. The German company, which operates multiple airlines including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, also said it would avoid overnight flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport due to the “current situation in the Middle East.” The pause on night flights will begin Thursday and run until Sunday, the German company said. The moves comes as Iran closed its airspace to all but a few international flights with special permission.
“All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy,” a Western military official told Reuters on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that violence in Iran has eased, declaring that “the killing in Iran is stopping” and insisting there are no plans for executions, a claim he said was based on “good authority.”
What To Know
Iranian state television issued a chilling threat to assassinate Trump on Wednesday, warning that “this time, it [the bullet] won’t miss."
Iranian officials and state media have repeatedly issued threats toward Trump since the U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.
The U.S. State Department and a family member say protester Erfan Soltani could be executed today.
Trump has urged demonstrators to continue and promised that “help is on its way.”
Rights groups estimate more than 2,400 protesters killed and at least 18,000 arrested since late December.
Tehran remains under heavy security, with sources describing the atmosphere as tense and fearful.
Iran is in its sixth day of a nationwide internet blackout, expected to last one to two weeks.
Protests began on December 28 over a currency collapse but grew into calls to end Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.
European nations, including France, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Germany, and the UK, have summoned Iranian envoys over the violence.
China, Iran’s main trading partner, rejected Trump’s new 25% tariff on those dealing with Tehran.
Demonstrations appear to be slowing under the weight of arrests, killings, and communications restrictions.