MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Flights to nine countries of the Middle East are now suspended, the Russian Transport Ministry said.

"The airspace of ten countries of the region is now closed: Israel, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Syria; flights to and from nine indicated countries have been suspended," the ministry said.

Russian air carriers worked out bypass routes in advance for safe flights to Persian Gulf countries in cooperation with the transport ministry and the national air transport regulator, the ministry added.