The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has suspended all flights from Dhaka to Middle Eastern destinations following a sharp escalation in hostilities involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
In a message issued on Saturday, CAAB stated that the suspension of all Middle East-bound flights from Dhaka would remain in effect until further notice.
The decision comes as the Middle East becomes increasingly volatile after the Netanyahu government launched a fresh attack on Tehran early Saturday morning, marking a shift from nuclear negotiations to direct warfare.
The latest flare-up follows allegations by Iran that the US and Israel have attempted to instigate regime change through various means, including supporting anti-government protests. Following the joint Israeli-US military aggression, Iran has struck several targets across the Gulf region.
According to Iran’s state news agency, these strikes targeted strategically significant military locations, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US 5th Fleet base in Bahrain.
This current crisis builds upon tensions from the previous year. On 13 June, Israel and the US conducted “Operation Rising Lion,” a large-scale aerial campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and drone capabilities.
The Pentagon claimed at the time that three major nuclear centres were hit. Although a ceasefire was eventually brokered by US President Donald Trump after 12 days of conflict, deep-seated mutual distrust persisted, laying the groundwork for the present regional instability.
