Turkish airlines postpones its flights to Iran amid middle east tensions

As tensions between Israel and Iran mounted, Turkish Airlines deferred its flight to Iran on Friday night, Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency reported, without specifying its source.

It stated that the flights scheduled to different cities in Iran would resume starting Saturday morning.

However, Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue, news agency Reuters reported.

The Middle East has witnessed heightened tensions since war broke out between Israel and Hamas. The ongoing war has seen more than 35,000 people die, and its political fallout has reached various countries in the region, including Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.

The tension spiked following the killing of Hamas top commander Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on July 31. Iran has accused Israel of the assassination of Haniyeh, with the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for a “direct” attack on Israel.

A day after the assassination of Haniyeh, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced the death of another Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind the October 7 attack in Israel. He was killed in Gaza on July 13.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are Iran’s key allies. While Hamas dominates Gaza, Hezbollah has a presence in Lebanon.

This escalation has led several nations to approach the region with increased caution.