Iran Air denies any flight ban to neighboring countries despite US sanctions

The national company Iran Air said on Tuesday that it had not received any ban on serving countries bordering Iran, on the eve of a tightening of American sanctions against the Iranian air sector.

“Iran Air has not received any notification or official instruction from the civil aviation authorities of Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iraq regarding the cessation or suspension of the company's flights to Istanbul, Baku and Najaf,” the company said in a statement relayed by the government news agency Irna. The text does not give any indication concerning possible other destinations.

Earlier this month, the US government blacklisted the entire Iranian airline industry and threatened to sanction any organization working with Iran's airlines. American Finance Minister Scott Bessent assured Monday that Iranian airlines “will no longer be able to operate anywhere in the world” from Wednesday. It is not immediately clear what will change in practice, as the Iranian air sector has already been targeted for years by various sanctions.

Iran has 27 airlines, the majority of which provide domestic routes. Iran Air, the national airline, and Mahan Air, a private company, are the two main ones providing connections abroad, mainly neighboring countries but also Russia and China. Beijing said on Tuesday that it opposed “illegal unilateral sanctions”.

Since Monday, Georgia has banned all Iranian flights to and from its territory, while Mahan Air announced the suspension of all its flights to neighboring Turkey, at the request of Turkish authorities. Shortly after Washington's announcement on Monday, two Iraqi government sources told AFP that their country would suspend flights by Iranian airlines "from Tuesday".

These restrictions make it more difficult for Iranians to travel abroad or return to their country. The Israeli-American strikes against Iran at the end of February had already led to the total closure of its airspace. Traffic has since partially resumed but only Iranian companies allow you to leave Iran.