Romania’s Tarom suspends flights to Beirut amid escalating tensions

Romania's flag carrier Tarom announced that it suspended its July 31 and August 1 flights to/from Beirut amid worsening tensions in the Middle East and following the warning issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid any travel to this region.

"Tarom advises all passengers affected by these cancellations to contact the company to reschedule the trip for a later date at no additional cost. Passengers also have the option to request a refund," reads the announcement.

The airline also said it continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East and inform travelers "about the status of the flights scheduled for the coming days."

"We recommend passengers to follow the company's official communications and contact the Tarom team for assistance," it said.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) issued a travel warning for Lebanon due to an "increased risk of escalation" in the region, urging Romanians to avoid any travel to this state.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Romanian citizens of the existence of security risks […], with the firm recommendation to avoid any travel because of the security situation that risks deteriorating unpredictably, affecting the availability of commercial flights and travel routes," reads the ministry's statement.

Romanians in Lebanon have also been advised to "responsibly evaluate the possibility of leaving the territory of this state as long as commercial flights and exit routes are available."

"It is strongly recommended to leave the southern areas of the Republic of Lebanon (the region south of the Litani River) immediately given the recent armed clashes in the Lebanese-Israeli border area," the MAE also said.

Lebanon has been bracing for conflict with Israel since a strike last weekend in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teenagers, Reuters reported. Hezbollah has denied blame, but Israel's military claimed it killed the armed group's most senior commander in an airstrike on Beirut on Tuesday.

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