KUALA LUMPUR — Four Malaysia Airlines flights scheduled for departure today between Kuala Lumpur and Middle East destinations were cancelled, as the US builds up its military presence in the region ahead of a possible strike on Iran.
The four were MH164 from Kuala Lumpur to Doha, MH161 and MH165 from Doha to Kuala Lumpur, and MH157 from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur, according to flight tracking website flightaware.com.
MH164 (KUL to DOH) was scheduled to depart Kuala Lumpur at 2.30 am today, while MH157 (JED to KUL) was to have departed Jeddah at 1.10 am.
MH161 and MH165 were to have left Doha for Kuala Lumpur at 1.30 am and 8.10 am, respectively.
Yesterday, two Malaysia Airlines flights conducted an air turn back and a diversion following mid-flight advisories concerning heightened airspace risks, the national carrier said in a statement, reported by Bernama.
MH160 operating from Kuala Lumpur to Doha (KUL–DOH) yesterday turned back to Kuala Lumpur, while MH156 from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah (KUL–JED) was diverted to Chennai, the statement said.
“These turnbacks followed a mid-flight advisory concerning heightened airspace risk and were executed in accordance with established conflict-area diversion protocols,” Malaysia Airlines said.
Both flights have now safely returned to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL).
“Affected passengers were assisted with alternative flight arrangements and hotel accommodation, where required,” it added.
Reuters meanwhile reported that three flights from Instabul Airport to Tehran were cancelled yesterday. Affected flights included Turkish Airlines ATA Airlines and Qeshm Air services.
The US military is awaiting orders from President Donald Trump on a strike against Iran, after the latest round of talks concluded in Geneva on Thursday with no definitive deal. Trumps said he had yet to make a final decision on potential military operations but also hinted that they would proceed.
Since then, several governments have issued travel advisories to citizens to avoid Iran and to depart as soon as possible if they are there.
Further “technical talks” between the US and Iran are scheduled for Monday in Vienna; however, the US has already stepped up its military deployments in the Middle East, sending additional fighter squadrons and positioning two carrier strike groups in the region.
The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived off Israel’s coast on Friday, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been operating in the Arabian Sea since late January.
Tehran has warned that any strike would prompt retaliatory attacks on US military bases throughout the Middle East. – February 28, 2026