First Iranian flights cancelled from midnight for US sanctions

Segundo the Iranian civil aviation, quoted by the news agencies Tasnim and Isna, “the airports of Baghdad and Muscat will no longer receive Iranian flights” from midnight.

“ Other international flights, including those to Istanbul [Turkey], are scheduled as planned and currently there are no difficulties with these flights,” Tasnim reported tonight.

Negotiations are under way so that “flights to Baghdad [Iraq] can be redirected to Najaf airport”, a holy city in the heart of Iraqi territory appreciated by Iranian pilgrims, the aviation spokesman explained to both agencies.

According to Isna, negotiations with Oman are also underway.

In Iraq, the authorities have not yet expressed their official position.

Several sources, including a senior government officer, told the French news agency AFP that Baghdad would comply with the American ban.

In early September, the US government blacklisted the entire Iranian air sector and threatened to sanction any organization that worked with Iran’s airlines.

On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that sanctions imposed on Tehran will force all Iranian airlines to suspend operations from Wednesday.

Bessent explained that Washington intends to prevent Iranian carriers from accessing essential services to air activity, under threat of exclusion from the US financial system.

Hours after this Washington decision, also government sources from Iraq told France-Presse (AFP) that Baghdad would suspend flights from Iranian airlines.

“Iraq will apply the ban on Iranian airlines, in accordance with the US Treasury decision, from the dawn of Tuesday,” said an Iraqi authority, adding that “the countries that do not apply this decision will be subject to sanctions.”.

Iran Air had stated this morning that it had received no ban on operating in several neighbouring countries of Iran.

“Iran Air has not received any notification or official instruction from the civil aviation authorities of Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iraq on the suspension or interruption of the company’s flights to Istanbul, Bacu and Najaf,” the company indicated in a statement transmitted by Irna.

The Iranian air sector has been subject to several sanctions for years. Iran has 27 airlines, most of which make domestic connections.

Iran Air, the national company, and Mahan Air, a private company, are the two main providers of foreign links, mainly with neighbouring countries, but also with Russia and China.

Beijing said today that it opposes the “illegal unilateral sanctions” of the United States.

Since Monday, Georgia has banned all Iranian flights to and from its territory, while Mahan Air has announced the suspension of all its flights to neighbouring Turkey at the request of the Turkish authorities.

These restrictions further complicate the Iranians' chances of travelling abroad or returning to their country.

The Israeli-American attacks on Iran by the end of February, which provoked the war in the Middle East, had already led to the total closure of Iranian airspace. Traffic since then has partially resumed, but only a few Iranian companies can leave Iran.