US Sanctions Take Effect, Flights from Iran Cancelled
Flights from Iran to the capitals of Iraq and Oman were cancelled starting from midnight on Tuesday (22/9), as an impact of the latest United States sanctions. Washington previously announced that all Iranian airlines would be prohibited from operating starting 23 September.
In the first acknowledgement of flight disruptions resulting from the US measures, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (23/9/2026), Iranian state media reported on Tuesday (22/9) night that flights to the capitals of Iraq and Oman had been cancelled, while other routes remained unaffected.
The latest US move, announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday (21/9), follows previously imposed aviation sanctions. Bessent also warned of “severe consequences” for countries that act as facilitators for Iran.
The full extent of the impact remains unclear, given that Iran’s aviation sector has been a target of various sanctions for years.
The Iranian news agency, Tasnim News Agency, quoting a civil aviation spokesperson, reported that “Baghdad and Muscat airports will no as longer accept flights from Iran” starting Wednesday (23/9) local time.
“Other international flights, including destinations such as Istanbul, will operate as scheduled and as usual, and there are currently no issues with those flights,” reported Tasnim News Agency.
According to Tasnim, Iranian aviation authorities are conducting talks to divert flight routes from Baghdad to Najaf, a primary destination for Iranian pilgrims.
Another Iranian news agency, ISNA, reported that negotiations with Oman are also underway.
Previously, Iran’s national carrier, Iran Air, stated that it “has not yet received any official notification or instructions from the aviation authorities of Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, or Iraq.”
Meanwhile, on Monday (21/9), Georgian authorities banned Iranian airlines from operating within their territory. Additionally, Mahan Air, which has been under US sanctions since 2011, suspended services to Turkey at the request of the Turkish government.
In Iraq, the local government has not yet announced plans to enforce a flight ban. However, several sources, including a senior government official, told AFP that Baghdad would comply.
Iraq is a major destination for Iranian airlines, particularly for transporting pilgrims between Shia holy sites.
The US Treasury Secretary, in his announcement on Monday (21/9), stated that Iranian airlines would face difficulties operating starting Wednesday (23/9) local time due to the impact of the American sanctions.
“All Iranian airlines will cease operations worldwide,” Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury announced on 8 September that at least 27 Iranian airlines were sanctioned under Executive Order 13902. Most Iranian airlines caught in the sanctions operate domestic routes.
“Iran continues to use airlines under the guise of being ‘commercial’, many of which are controlled by the regime and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), to transport fighters, send weapons and sensitive technology, and move gold and cash to its proxies,” OFAC stated.
Iran’s aviation sector has long been a target of various sanctions. Mahan Air, Iran’s largest private airline operating extensive international routes, has been under US sanctions since 12 October 2011, over allegations of providing financial, material, and technological support to the Quds Force, the international wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).