Dozens of flights canceled at Georgian airports amid escalating Iran-Israel conflict

Amid heightened military tensions between Israel and Iran, several flights were canceled at Georgian airports on June 14, according to TAV Georgia.

The Tbilisi International Airport canceled 15 flights on Saturday, including connections to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Erbil, Delhi, Dubai, and Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Batumi Airport canceled four flights, including two bound for Israel, one for Iran, and one for the United Arab Emirates.

Cancellations were also reported on June 13, when Tbilisi Airport suspended flights on 16 routes due to regional instability.

The disruption follows Israel’s announcement early on June 13 that it had struck the "heart of Iran’s nuclear program" — specifically, the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the strikes also targeted Iranian scientists allegedly working on a nuclear bomb and the country’s ballistic missile program.

Iran’s Armed Forces confirmed the deaths of three top military officials in the Israeli airstrikes: Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Lt. Gen. Hossein Salami, and Air Defense Forces chief Lt. Gen. Rashidi.

In response, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed harsh retaliation. On Friday evening, Iranian state media reported that Iran launched a large-scale counterattack, firing “hundreds of ballistic missiles” at Israel. Tehran described the strikes as just the beginning of a “crushing response.”

Tel Aviv was among the hardest-hit areas during the overnight attacks between June 13 and 14, with at least 35 people injured. Israeli authorities confirmed that three people were killed in the Iranian airstrike early on June 14.