Turkey Seizes Iranian Aircraft in Istanbul, Scheduled to Return Tuesday

Turkish authorities have seized a Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to the Iranian airline, Caspian Airlines, in Istanbul due to an alleged debt of 3.0 million euros (approximately 3.4 million USD), according to reports from media in both countries on Tuesday (29/09/2026).

The Boeing 737 jet had completed the boarding process and was preparing for takeoff on Monday before being detained by officials following a seizure order issued by the court, as reported by the Turkish news agency, Anadolu.

The report did not link this incident to new United States sanctions against Iranian airlines—Washington’s effort to further pressure the country’s economy amidst the conflict in West Asia.

In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Caspian Airlines stated that the Istanbul-Tehran flight faced “temporary operational restrictions on one of their Boeing aircraft due to administrative issues in Turkey.”

The television report confirmed that passengers were forced to disembark from the aircraft. Nevertheless, the airline has taken “administrative” steps regarding the three million euro debt for services at Istanbul Airport.

The airline added that the aircraft is scheduled to return to Iran on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to requests for confirmation from AFP news agency.

To date, Turkey has not complied with the new US sanctions announced in early September. These sanctions threaten that any party doing business with Iranian airlines risks being disconnected from the US dollar-dominated global financial system.

Several airlines, including Iran Air, continue to operate regular flights connecting the two countries. However, Mahan Air—one of the primary cargo airlines—announced last week that they had suspended all flight routes to Turkey at the request of Ankara authorities.