Dutch airline KLM has cancelled flights over Iran and part of Israel with immediate effect "as a precaution," following signals that an Iranian attack on Israeli targets is imminent.
The airline does continue to fly to Israel's main airport close to Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast, as a security analysis found that those flights can still be operated safely. The airline is "constantly reviewing and assessing the situation in Iran and Tel Aviv," it said.
Earlier, it was announced that Australian airline Qantas was diverting flights from London to Perth to avoid Iranian airspace. German company Lufthansa and subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss have also stopped flying over Iran.
Unrest in the region has intensified and US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he expects Iran to attack Israel "sooner rather than later."
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Iran has threatened reprisals against Israel, which carried out an air strike on a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, on 1 April. Seven members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed, including two generals – sparking fears that the already volatile climate in the area following the Israel-Hamas war could quickly spiral further.
Israel says that the killed officers were part of Iran's network smuggling weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and attacking Israel via proxy terrorist organisations.
The US has signalled that Iran is moving military equipment, which could indicate an attack from Iran towards Israel. The US has rushed warships into position to protect Israel and US forces in that region.
