US sanctions cut Iranian airlines off from multiple destinations
The United Arab Emirates has suspended all flights by Iranian carriers. Oman, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Baghdad are also among the disrupted routes.
New US sanctions led to a series of flight suspensions by Iranian airlines on Thursday, September 24. The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates has banned their services until further notice, while the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported interruptions to flights to Oman, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Baghdad.
Washington set September 23 as the deadline after which foreign companies providing services to Iranian carriers would face secondary sanctions. On September 8, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the last remaining active Iranian airlines, accusing the aviation sector of supporting Tehran’s military and financial networks.
According to Reuters, a senior Iranian official threatened on Wednesday to render the airports of countries enforcing the US ban “unusable.” These restrictions further limit the international travel options for Iranians, as most foreign airlines have already ceased operations in the country.
Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport still displayed flights to Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Iraq, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey on Thursday. However, no connections were listed to neighboring Gulf states, which are significant commercial and transit hubs for Iran.
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