US-Israel strikes Iran: Air India and global carriers suspend flights to West Asia

West Asia is currently experiencing a massive surge in military activities, prompting airspace closures across countries following joint US–Israeli strikes on Saturday (Feb 28). The military strikes, named Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the United States, hit over 30 sites across the Islamic Republic, including government buildings in Tehran and suspected nuclear facilities.

According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Iran has already begun retaliatory missile attacks on Israel, prompting the Jewish nation to declare a state of emergency. Sirens have been sounded across the country, including Tel Aviv.

Beyond the immediate combatants, explosions have been reported near US army bases in Bahrain and the UAE, resulting in the Emirates partially closing its airspace.

Flight disruptions widens

Indian carrier, Air India, announced the suspension of all its flights to West Asia until further notice. The airline in a post on X said, "In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our passengers and crew. We will continue to assess the safety and security environment for our flight operations and adjust operations proactively as required. Our teams will be extending all necessary support to passengers".

IndiGo said that the flights to and from the Middle East were cancelled until midnight.

“In view of evolving airspace restrictions around Iran and the Middle East, all flights to and from the Middle East are cancelled till 0000hrs. These measures have been instituted as the safety and security of our customers and crew is our highest priority. Our teams are continuously monitoring the evolving situation and recalibrating operations to minimise disruption as much as possible,” a statement from IndiGo read.

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Several other international airlines, including Air France, announced the cancellation of all flights from Tel Aviv and Beirut, the capital of Lebanon bordering Israel. German international carrier Lufthansa also suspended its air operations from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Muscat, the capital of Oman.

Wizz Air also halted all flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman, while Oman Air suspended operations to Iran and Israel until further notice.

The Saturday joint strikes by the US and Israel follow the failure of indirect negotiations held in Oman and Switzerland earlier this month after Washington issued a 10-day deadline for Iran to agree to a “zero-enrichment” nuclear framework.

However, Tehran has repeatedly denied any intention of developing nuclear weapons, while US negotiators pressed for zero enrichment, a demand Iran says is necessary for its civilian nuclear energy requirements.

Additionally, the US and Israel demanded that the deal include not just nuclear curbs but also the dismantling of Iran’s long-range ballistic missile programme and a halt to regional proxy funding.

In June 2025, following escalated tensions between Israel and Iran over Tehran’s support for proxies against Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon, the US and Israel jointly launched Operation Midnight Hammer. Seven US B-2 stealth bombers flew from Missouri to strike three major nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

The operation utilised 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs for the first time in combat. While it severely damaged Iran’s underground facilities, it did not destroy them entirely.

Eventually, a fragile ceasefire was reached on June 24, 2025. However, US intelligence flagged that Iran had secretly rebuilt parts of these sites within eight months.