Air France, KLM halt flights to Israel as US, Iran trade warnings over potential conflict

Air France and its Dutch partner KLM announced they will cancel flights to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, as well as to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, until at least Sunday, citing “security tensions in the region” and the risk of a renewed conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The move follows a decision by the Lufthansa Group last week to suspend nighttime flights to Israel through the end of January, based on assessments that any potential military confrontation with Iran is more likely to occur overnight.

The Lufthansa Group includes Germany's Lufthansa Airlines, along with Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and SWISS.

The ayatollah regime has killed over 16,000 protesters since the anti-regime protests erupted in late December 2025. Some reports indicate that as many as 20,000 people may have been executed.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider military action if Iran’s leadership does not halt the killing of civilians.

Trump confirmed on Thursday that he had ordered the concentration of U.S. military power in the region for potential military action against the Iranian regime.

“We’re watching Iran. We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case,” Trump told media representatives.

“We have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. Maybe we won’t have to use it, we’ll see,” the president continued.

The Iranian regime has warned that it would respond with military force to any U.S. or Israeli strike. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) commander, General Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel on Saturday to “avoid any miscalculation.”

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the commander-in-chief,” Pakpour stated.

The rhetoric exchange between Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has increased recently on social media. Khamenei has blamed Trump and Israel for the murder of thousands of Iranian protesters whom the Iranian leader himself ordered.

Trump responded by calling Khamenei a “sick man,” while some pundits increasingly believe that Trump might order the U.S. military to eliminate Khamenei.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently warned, “Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation.”

It is unclear how a potential military confrontation between Washington and Tehran would affect Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the regime that Israel will strike with unprecedented force if Tehran decides to attack.

On Friday, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin wrote on 𝕏, “Ahead of the Sabbath, I want to say to all citizens of Israel: the IDF is optimally prepared, both defensively and offensively. It is important to emphasize that there is no change to the Home Front Command’s instructions. We will ensure to update you if there is any change.”