ISTANBUL

The Lufthansa Group will operate only daytime flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in the coming days, citing the “current situation in the Middle East,” The Times of Israel reported, citing the group.

The company, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, said it decided to operate flights to and from Tel Aviv and the Jordanian capital of Amman, as daytime services from Thursday until and including Monday.

“This means that crews will fly back directly without an overnight stay on site,” a Lufthansa representative said in a statement, adding that some flights may also be canceled.

Lufthansa Group also said all of its airlines will continue to bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.

The developments come as US officials escalated rhetoric against Iran, which has been rocked by anti-government protests since last month because of worsening economic conditions.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told CBS News that Washington would take “very strong action” if Iranian authorities carried out executions of protesters.

Israel has been preparing for the possibility that Iran could launch missiles at its territory should Washington attack Tehran.

In June, Israel, with US backing, launched a 12-day war against Iran, which responded with drone and missile strikes on Israeli targets before the US announced a ceasefire.

Israel and Iran view each other as arch-enemies and have traded accusations for years about sabotage operations and cyberattacks.

On Tuesday, the Maariv newspaper in Israel reported that the country has raised the alert level of its air force, military intelligence directorate (Aman), and the Northern Command, in anticipation of a possible US strike on Iran.

Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing “riots” and “terrorism” amid the ongoing protests.

Authorities have not released official figures on casualties or detainees. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a US-based group, estimates that at least 2,500 people have been killed, including protesters and security personnel, with more than 1,100 injured.