GENEVA: Swiss International Air Lines said it is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv for a week, after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday. “Due to current developments in the Middle East, SWISS is suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 7. A total of 14 flights in both directions are affected,” the Swiss flag carrier said in a statement. “For SWISS, the safety of its crews and passengers is always our top priority. We have made this decision on that basis. “As numerous airspaces are closed as a result of the current situation, we are also cancelling the flights from Zurich to Dubai scheduled for today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday).” The airline said it was contacting passengers and working to rebook them onto other flights, or offering them a free rebooking at a later date or a refund. Israel and US launch attacks on Iran, deepening regional crisis SWISS said it was in contact with its staff in Tel Aviv tasked with maintaining its aircraft there and was trying to support them. “We are continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East very closely,” it added. Saturday’s strikes sparked explosions and columns of smoke in the capital Tehran. Iran responded by launching retaliatory missile attacks, according to the Israeli military.