Lufthansa Group to avoid Iranian, Iraqi airspace amid Middle East escalation

Lufthansa Group said on August 5 that its carriers would be avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace through August 7 due to developments in the Middle East, Report informs referring to Reuters.

The group, which includes carriers Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, said all flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and Beirut had been suspended up to and including August 12.

Lufthansa Group said it was also suspending flights to the Jordanian capital, Amman, and the Iraqi city of Erbil through August 7, citing its "current security analysis."

Tensions in the region have spiraled in the last week following the killing in Tehran of Palestinian militant group Hamas' head and an Israeli strike on Beirut's suburbs that killed a top commander in Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and Iran have vowed to retaliate against Israel for the killings, prompting concerns that the multiple fronts being fought in parallel to the Gaza war could escalate into a full-blown regional war.