US Aviation Sanctions Against Iran Halt Regional Flights

The consequences of the new US sanctions against the Iranian aviation industry are rapidly emerging. Afraid of being exposed to secondary sanctions, some countries, airports and airline companies have re-evaluated their relations with Iranian carriers. This situation led to the suspension or cancellation of many international flights and disrupted Iran's air transportation network.

The sanctions also cover organizations that provide fuel, maintenance, ground handling and ticket sales services to Iranian airlines. Concerned about losing access to the dollar-centered global financial system, many organizations are considering halting or limiting their relationships with Iranian airlines.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the new measures aim to increase economic pressure on Iran. Bessent stated that if foreign airports and service providers refuse to work with Iranian companies, these companies will have an increasingly difficult time maintaining international flights.

'TOTAL BAN' FROM TWO COUNTRIES

One of the first countries to take direct measures was Georgia. The Tbilisi administration stopped all flights coming from and going to Iran. This decision showed how quickly some countries responded to new US sanctions.

Azerbaijan took a similar step and announced that it suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines as of September 22. The Baku administration directly linked its decision to US sanctions imposed on the Iranian aviation sector.

The decisions taken by the two countries dealt a new blow to Iran's air connection with the Caucasus, one of the important regional markets in terms of passenger traffic.

TWO CAPITAL CITIES LEFT THE FLIGHT NETWORK

Authorized sources in Iraq reported that flights from Iran were stopped from being accepted to Baghdad International Airport. It was reported that the authorities are considering the option of redirecting some flights to Najaf, which hosts many Iranian visitors every year.

The decision is of particular importance as Iraq is one of the largest markets for Iranian airlines, both in terms of religious visitors and passengers traveling between the two countries. The suspension of flights has prompted many travel companies to seek alternative options, including road transportation, to avoid disruption to passenger traffic.

In Oman, flights between Tehran and Muscat were cancelled. Iranian officials announced that negotiations are continuing to overcome the new restrictions.

UAE SUSPENDED

Iran's ISNA news agency reported that the United Arab Emirates suspended all flights of Iranian airlines on Thursday as part of compliance with US sanctions targeting the Iranian aviation sector. The decision comes after many flights to different destinations were canceled on Wednesday.

ISNA said, "All flights of Iranian companies to the United Arab Emirates have been canceled as of midnight."

A passenger told AFP that Iran Airtour's Dubai flight was canceled shortly before the scheduled departure time from Tehran, even though the passengers had purchased their tickets.

PARTIAL RESTRICTION FROM Türkiye

According to the news in Al Arabiya, Türkiye did not announce a comprehensive ban on Iranian airline companies. However, he asked Mahan Air to suspend some of its flights. According to the announced flight schedules, other flights continued, including some flights to Istanbul.

Some smaller Iranian airlines also continued to fly to certain regional destinations. This showed that restrictions vary from country to country and are not applied to the same extent in all markets.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN CHINA?

Although the scope of restrictions has expanded, some international destinations remain open for Iranian airlines. After the Beijing administration announced that it was against the unilateral sanctions of the USA, flights to China, including Guangzhou and Shanghai, continued.

While some flights continued to be operated to Armenia and the United Arab Emirates, a limited number of flights to Türkiye and Iraq were continued via certain airports and alternative destinations.

HOW WILL TEHRAN RESPOND?

Iran, on the other hand, gave the message that it could take measures against countries that comply with US sanctions. Iranian officials warned that states that block or limit the activities of the country's airline companies may face similar restrictions on their flights to Iran.

The developments come at a time when Iran's aviation industry is trying to recover from the effects of the recent war, which caused the country's airspace to be closed for long periods and caused major disruptions in travel traffic.