Gulf Air Cancels flight to Iran, Iraq as Bahrain Unrest Escalates

Gulf Air, Bahrain’s state-owned carrier, canceled all flights to and from Iran and Iraq and temporarily shut sales offices in the capital city of Manama, as the Gulf state declared a state of emergency.The airline plans to resume flights to Iran on March 21 and to Iraq on March 18, it said in a statement on its website. The carrier canceled flights on four routes to Iraq and Iran each.

Bahrain declared a three-month state of emergency this week after troops from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states arrived to help quell a month of protests driven by majority Shiites, who are calling for democracy and civil rights.