German airline Lufthansa says it will cancel 20,000 shorter flights through October as a fuel-saving measure because the Iran war has increased costs.
The announcement from the major German carrier is a tangible sign that Tehran’s clampdown on the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions in the Middle East are having a ripple effect across the globe.
Lufthansa said the cancellations equate to “approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.”
Dutch carrier KLM recently canceled 160 flights through May due to rising fuel costs, and other airlines have considered price hikes.
The U.S. and Iran are trying to negotiate an end to hostilities, but it hasn’t been easy.
President Trump said Tuesday he agreed to avoid new attacks on Iran while its “fractured” leadership drafts a peace proposal for Pakistani mediators.
Tensions remain high in the Middle East ahead of an expected resumption of talks between Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad.
Iranian state media said the country’s Revolutionary Guard attacked two vessels, MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, and took them into custody because they were operating in the Strait of Hormuz without the necessary permits.
Wire reports said a third ship may have been attacked.
Mr. Trump, meanwhile, said his blockade of Iranian ports is squeezing Iran economically and will force it to the negotiating table.
“Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash!” Mr. Trump wrote on Wednesday on Truth Social.
The president is imposing the blockade despite the ceasefire, hoping it forces Iran to agree to U.S. terms in negotiations.
Mr. Trump says his primary aim is to prevent Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.
