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Bangladesh has suspended all flights to Middle Eastern destinations following the outbreak of fresh hostilities involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
A spokesperson for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport confirmed on Saturday (February 28) that all outbound flights from Bangladesh to Middle Eastern countries have been temporarily halted. The suspension will remain in effect until further notice.
Bosea Islam, General Manager of Public Relations at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, stated, “All Middle East-bound flights have been suspended. Further details will be provided later.”
Escalation in the Middle East
The flight suspension follows reports of coordinated military strikes carried out early Saturday by the United States and Israel targeting locations in Iran.
According to reports, five cities including Tehran were struck in the operation, which reportedly came after several rounds of negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program. In addition to conventional attacks, Iranian state media outlets were reportedly targeted in cyber operations.
In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. military installations across the region, including:
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Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar
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Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait
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Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates
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The headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama
Explosions were also reported in Riyadh and Manama.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense stated that all incoming Iranian missile attacks were intercepted by Patriot defense systems. Meanwhile, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have announced the indefinite closure of their airspace amid escalating security concerns.
