Iranian airlines have begun cancelling international flights to Iraq and Oman after new sanctions imposed by the United States targeted the country's aviation sector.
The flight cancellations will take effect from midnight local time on Tuesday, according to Iranian civil aviation officials quoted by state news outlets. Aviation authorities confirmed that airports in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and Muscat, the capital of Oman, will cease receiving incoming flights operated by Iranian carriers.
Despite the impending suspensions in Iraq and Oman, other international connections remain operational for now. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Tuesday evening that flights to Istanbul, a major regional aviation hub in Turkey, continue to operate as scheduled without reported difficulties.
Negotiations are currently underway to redirect flights bound for Baghdad to Najaf airport instead, an Iranian civil aviation spokesman told news agencies Tasnim and ISNA. Najaf is a holy city in central Iraq that serves as a major pilgrimage site for Iranian Shia worshippers. ISNA reported that separate negotiations with civil aviation authorities in Oman are also ongoing.
US Sanctions Target Iranian Aviation Industry
The latest flight cancellations follow a broad expansion of economic penalties by Washington aimed at isolating Tehran's transportation network. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that sanctions imposed on Tehran would force all Iranian airlines to suspend operations starting Wednesday. The US Department of the Treasury oversees foreign asset controls and global financial enforcement.
Bessent explained that Washington intends to prevent Iranian carriers from accessing services essential to airline operations. Under the threat of exclusion from the US financial system, foreign aviation companies, service providers, and governments face sanctions if they assist Iranian airlines.
The action builds upon restrictions introduced earlier this month. In early September, the US government blacklisted the entire Iranian aviation sector, issuing explicit warnings that any foreign organization working alongside Iranian airlines would face secondary sanctions.
Iraqi Compliance and Regional Fallout
Although the Iraqi government has not issued an official public statement, senior officials in Baghdad confirmed that Iraq intends to comply with the American restrictions. A high-ranking government official told French news agency Agence France-Presse that Iraqi authorities would enforce the flight ban starting early Tuesday morning.
The Iraqi official added that countries failing to enforce the US Treasury directive will themselves become subject to American sanctions. Agence France-Presse, headquartered in Paris, is one of the world's primary international news agencies.
The announcement created initial confusion among Iranian flight operators. Early Tuesday morning, flag carrier Iran Air insisted it had received no official notification regarding flight bans from neighboring states.
In a statement carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran Air maintained that civil aviation authorities in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iraq had not issued formal instructions halting flights to Istanbul, Baku, or Najaf. IRNA is Iran's official state-run news agency, headquartered in Tehran.
Wider Restrictions and Airspace Closures
Despite Iran Air's statement, flight restrictions rapidly expanded across neighboring territories. Georgia implemented a total ban on all Iranian flights entering or leaving its territory starting Monday. Concurrently, private carrier Mahan Air announced it was suspending all services to neighboring Turkey following a direct request from Turkish aviation authorities.
Iran's commercial aviation sector comprises 27 airlines, the majority of which operate internal domestic routes. State-owned flag carrier Iran Air and privately owned Mahan Air are the primary carriers managing international routes. Beyond immediate regional neighbors, both airlines maintain international connections to Russia and China.
The US sanctions drew opposition from Beijing. The Chinese government stated on Tuesday that it opposes illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iranian entities.
The latest flight suspensions further complicate options for Iranian citizens attempting to travel abroad or return home. Iranian airspace had already suffered a complete closure following Israeli and American military strikes against Iran in late February, which triggered the broader Middle East war. Commercial flight traffic has since partially resumed, but only a few Iranian airlines are permitted to operate international routes.
