LONDON — Several European airlines canceled or suspended flights to the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, citing security concerns and regional airspace disruptions.Air France canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, and extended its suspension of services to Tel Aviv through Sunday, broadcaster BFM TV reported.Germany’s Lufthansa suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil and Tehran until and including March 7, according to Bild newspaper.Dutch carrier KLM halted flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv until March 1.British Airways said passengers scheduled to fly between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv could change their bookings free of charge through March 6 or request a refund.Norwegian airline Norse said it would temporarily avoid flying to and from Dubai until March 4.Poland’s LOT canceled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 3.Italy’s ITA Airways announced it would suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 7 and avoid the airspaces of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran through that date. Flights to and from Dubai were also suspended until March 1 for operational reasons.Israel launched what it described as a “preemptive” attack on Iran early Saturday under the name “Lion’s Roar,” declaring a “special and immediate” state of emergency.US President Donald Trump later said American forces had begun “major combat operations” in Iran aimed at “protecting the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”The escalation came as negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program were ongoing under Oman’s mediation. The latest round of talks concluded Thursday in Geneva.Last June, the United States struck three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
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