World leaders have called for an easing of tensions between Israel and Iran. (representative)

Deutsche Lufthansa Group has suspended flights to Israel and Iraq until the early hours of Saturday following reports that Israel launched retaliatory attacks against arch-enemy Iran.

The group airline’s flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, were suspended until 0500 GMT due to the “current situation”, a spokesman told AFP.

Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines also decided to suspend flights to the Jordanian capital Amman, Erbil and Tel Aviv on Friday as a “precautionary measure” to “comprehensively reassess the security situation.”

“Austrian Airlines continues to monitor and assess the security situation in the Middle East and remains in close contact with the authorities,” Austrian Airlines said in a statement to AFP.

U.S. media quoted officials as saying that Israel had launched retaliatory strikes against Iran after the Islamic Republic launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, and world leaders called for a de-escalation of tensions.

Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have both suspended flights to and from Tehran until the end of the month.

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