“Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and several other international carriers have started to cancel flights tonight and throughout the weekend to and from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, citing the ‘security situation’ in the Middle East,” OSINTdefender mentioned in a post on X.
Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and several other international airlines have begun to cancel flights tonight and over the weekend to and from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, citing the “security situation” in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/reeXpWNlef
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 23, 2026
Air France has cancelled flights between Paris and Dubai on Friday and Saturday, thereby pausing services to the emirate. Bloomberg reported that this decision stemmed from “the current situation in the Middle East.”
KLM, the Dutch branch of the Air France-KLM group, has suspended operations to Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and Tel Aviv until further notice. Additionally, United Airlines and Air Canada have halted flights to Israel amidst rising concerns about a potential US strike on Iran.
This development coincides with the increased US military presence near Iran as fears of conflict grow. President Donald Trump communicated that a ‘massive’ naval force is en route to Iran, sending a clear message to the regime.
On Thursday, he stated to reporters aboard Air Force One, “We have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and perhaps we won’t have to use it,” according to Newsweek.
Neither European nor Israeli aviation authorities have issued specific security alerts. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed no changes to the military’s guidance for the Israeli public.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated in a message on X, “As we approach Shabbat, I want to reassure all Israeli citizens—the IDF is optimally prepared for both defense and offense. It’s important to note that there are no alterations to the Home Front Command guidelines; we will ensure to update you if anything changes.”
מסכמים עוד שבוע עצים של לחימה ושיפור המוכנות בכלל הזירות.
השבוע, צה״ל תקף בכל הגזרות – תקפנו מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בלבנון, פתחנו במבצע למיגור טרור בחטיבה המרחבית ׳יהודה׳, תקפנו מחבלים שהפרו את הסכם הפסקת האש ברצועת עזה והמשכנו את מאמצי האכיפה בכל הגזרות.השבוע ביקר…
— דובר צה״ל אפי דפרין – Effie Defrin (@IDFSpokesperson) January 23, 2026
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US of conspiring against the Iranian regime and supporting dissidents. In a post on X this past Saturday, he remarked, “We do not intend to lead the country toward war. However, we will not overlook the criminals within our borders either. More troubling than the internal criminals are the international criminals! We will not let them go either.”
