Iran cancels international flights under pressure from US sanctions

Iranian airlines have been forced to cancel international flights under pressure from tough US sanctions aimed at strangling the Islamic Republic's economy, amid the ongoing war between the two countries since February.

Despite the sanctions, not all planes remained on the ground. The Flight Radar 24 website showed that an Airbus plane belonging to the Iranian Mahan Company landed today, Wednesday (September 23, 2026), at approximately 8:40 GMT in China. Beijing said on Tuesday that it opposes the US sanctions, describing them as illegal.

As for neighboring countries, they implemented sanctions, prompting an Iranian official to warn them of the consequences of such a step. Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, warned in an interview with state television that “if any country enters into cooperation or engages in adventures with the United States, its airports will no longer be able to operate flights.” Rezaei added, "I ask all dear neighboring countries not to engage in this adventure, as it is doomed to failure."

In recent weeks, the United States has begun tightening the sanctions it has imposed on Tehran for many years, as the war has continued since February 28.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent recently announced that the entire Iranian aviation sector would be placed under sanctions, indicating that this would become fully effective today, Wednesday.

The effects of the sanctions began to appear gradually. On Tuesday, Mahan Air announced the suspension of all its flights to Türkiye at the request of the authorities in Ankara. Today, a major travel agency in Tehran and Agence France-Presse reported that flights to Baghdad, Muscat, Qatar, Georgia and Azerbaijan have been suspended.

Iraqi travelers stranded at the border

Iraqi media reported on Wednesday that the land border crossings between Iran and Iraq are witnessing a surge of Iraqi arrivals after flights were canceled at the airports of the two countries.

The Sabreen News website stated, "Iraqi citizens coming from Iran by land via the Mehran-Zurbatiyah port have launched appeals to the Iraqi authorities to provide transportation vehicles to Baghdad and the rest of the provinces due to the momentum occurring on the border as a result of the sudden cancellation of flights between the two countries." The website explained that the cancellation of flights between Iranian and Iraqi airports "forced a large number of travelers to return to Iraq by land, including patients, the elderly, children, and travel cases to receive treatment in Iranian cities."

The Iraqi authorities did not issue any comment regarding the suspension of flights between Iraqi and Iranian airports against the backdrop of US sanctions on Iranian airports.

Iran has a total of 27 airlines, but most of them are limited to operating domestic flights. The two main companies, the national Iran Air company and the private Mahan Air company, operate most foreign flights under normal circumstances, and their destinations are mostly neighboring countries, in addition to Russia and China.

Last Monday, Besant vowed that Iranian airlines would stop operating under penalty of punishment for any party that dealt with them. He warned other countries, "If these planes land, no one will be able to provide them with fuel, provide landing services, or sell their tickets. Otherwise, they will be excluded from the dollar system." These restrictions would make it more difficult for Iranians to travel abroad or return to their country.

Edited by: F.Y