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Türkiye’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines said Saturday it has canceled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until March 2, 2026, citing the closure of certain Middle Eastern airspace following the joint Israel-U.S. attack on Iran.
The airline also canceled flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman scheduled for Feb. 28, 2026, according to Yahya Ustun, the company’s senior vice president for communications.
In a post on U.S. social media platform X, Ustun said airspace developments are being monitored in real time and warned that additional cancellations may follow.
The airline advised passengers to check the latest flight information on its official website.
Meanwhile, Turkish low-cost air carrier Ajet also announced on Saturday that the airline canceled flights to Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon until March 2, and flights to the United Arab Emirates for Feb. 28, due to the closure of some Middle Eastern countries' airspace.
AJet Press Advisor Mehmet Yesilkaya noted that the situation in the region is being closely monitored and that additional cancellations are possible.
The cancellations come amid widespread aviation restrictions across the region following the Israel-U.S. joint attack on Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, with air and sea strikes hitting targets across the country, including the capital, Tehran. The operation marks the most significant U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
The U.S. Department of Defense said the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran has been named “Operation Epic Fury.”
The Israeli military said the strikes hit “dozens of military targets” aimed at degrading what it described as “the Iranian terrorist regime.” Iranian retaliatory missile launches triggered intercepts over Qatar and air raid sirens across the Persian Gulf.
In response to the escalating conflict, the United Arab Emirates temporarily closed its airspace to aircraft and passengers, Qatar suspended air traffic, and Kuwait canceled all flights to Iran until further notice.
Syria also temporarily suspended flights through its southern air corridors, while Iraq closed its airspace after clearing all aircraft.
The attack followed a large U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of two aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, several naval destroyers, more than 50 fighter jets and over 300 military aircraft across the Middle East.
The strikes mark the second U.S. attack on Iran in less than a year. Last June, the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump said were “completely and totally obliterated.”
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