Lahore, February 28 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended its flight operations to Gulf countries with immediate effect on Saturday, following heightened tensions in the region after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
"Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suspended its flight operations to Gulf countries. PIA flights to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait have been suspended," a PIA spokesperson said in a statement.
He said that PIA flights to Saudi Arabia would continue, but their routes would be altered.
Flights would be operated using Boeing 777 aircraft and would take longer routes to reach their destinations.
The US and Israel launched a "preemptive" joint strike against Iranian targets on Saturday, with President Donald Trump announcing the start of "major combat operations."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran confirmed that it had launched a "first wave" of missile and drone attacks against Israel and US assets in the Gulf in response to the strikes on its territory.