Iranian airlines have cancelled or suspended some international services as new US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector begin to disrupt access to foreign airports and aviation services, adding pressure to an industry already operating under years of restrictions.
The disruptions emerged on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, after Washington’s latest measures took effect. Flights involving destinations including Baghdad, Muscat, Qatar, Georgia and Azerbaijan were reported suspended, although Iranian carriers continued operating some other international routes, including services to China.
The latest restrictions target not only Iranian airlines but also the foreign companies and airports that provide critical services to them. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned that businesses supplying Iranian carriers with fuel, landing services or ticketing support could face secondary sanctions and potentially lose access to the US dollar-based financial system.
The measures represent another escalation in Washington’s campaign to restrict Iran’s aviation and broader economic networks.
The latest disruption follows a September 8 decision by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to sanction 36 targets connected to Iran’s aviation industry.
The Treasury said the action targeted companies and intermediaries involved in supporting Iran’s aviation sector, which Washington accuses of facilitating the movement of weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.
The measures also targeted networks allegedly involved in helping Iran obtain US-origin aircraft and sensitive aviation technology.
The US action is significant because Iranian airlines depend on foreign airports and service providers to conduct international flights.
Key services affected by the sanctions threat include:
- Aircraft refuelling
- Airport landing and handling services
- Ticket sales
- Ground support
- Financial transactions
- Aviation-related procurement
The threat of secondary sanctions gives the US measures a reach beyond Iranian carriers themselves, because foreign companies can face consequences for continuing to provide services to sanctioned airlines.
Unlike restrictions aimed exclusively at Iranian companies, secondary sanctions seek to influence companies in other countries by making continued business with targeted entities potentially costly.
Bessent said foreign providers could face exclusion from the US dollar financial system if they continued supplying Iranian airlines with certain services.
That creates a difficult operating environment for carriers whose international flights depend on cooperation from airports, fuel suppliers and other aviation businesses outside Iran.
Despite the US pressure, the impact has not been uniform across Iran’s international network.
Iranian authorities indicated that several international services would continue, while specific routes were affected by decisions taken by foreign airports or governments.
For example, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said flights to Baghdad and Muscat would be affected because those airports would no longer accept Iranian flights from Wednesday. Iranian authorities discussed redirecting Baghdad-bound services to Najaf in Iraq.
Reports also indicated that services to Istanbul and several other destinations were still scheduled to operate.
Iranian media separately reported on Wednesday that international flights were continuing despite the sanctions pressure.
This means the immediate effect is better described as a growing restriction on Iranian international aviation rather than a complete shutdown of every Iranian flight.
Iran’s aviation sector has faced US sanctions for years, with Mahan Air among the country’s most prominent carriers affected by previous American measures.
The airline has already faced growing restrictions on international operations. Recent reporting said Mahan Air suspended services to destinations including Istanbul, Ankara and Muscat amid increasing pressure on its aviation-support network.
The latest US measures widen the pressure by targeting the infrastructure and companies that allow Iranian carriers to operate outside the country.
Iran operates several international airlines, including Iran Air, Mahan Air and Qeshm Air, although their ability to maintain extensive overseas networks has already been constrained by sanctions and limitations on aircraft access.
The latest sanctions arrive after years of restrictions that have affected:
- Access to aircraft and aviation components
- International maintenance arrangements
- Insurance and financial services
- Foreign airport access
- Refuelling and ground handling
- International ticketing networks
These restrictions have contributed to persistent difficulties for Iranian carriers operating international routes.
For passengers, the immediate consequence is reduced certainty over international travel from Iran.
Travellers using Iranian carriers may face:
- Cancelled or suspended flights.
- Changes to departure or arrival airports.
- Rerouting through alternative destinations.
- Reduced access to certain international routes.
- Additional uncertainty over connecting flights.
Passengers travelling through affected airports will need to confirm flight status directly with their airline or airport because the restrictions are being implemented differently across individual routes and countries.
The situation could also affect passengers who are not travelling on Iranian airlines if airports or service providers alter their operations in response to US sanctions.
China is among the destinations where Iranian international aviation has continued to find operating space.
Reports on Wednesday said Iranian routes to China remained available even as several other international destinations were suspended.
The continuation of those services illustrates the uneven geographic impact of the US measures. While Washington can impose sanctions on Iranian airlines and threaten foreign companies with penalties, the practical effect depends heavily on whether individual countries and aviation providers comply with the restrictions.
The result is a fragmented international network in which some routes remain operational while others become increasingly difficult to maintain.
The aviation measures form part of a broader US campaign against Iran’s economy.
The September 8 Treasury action came under what the department called Operation Economic Outcast, with sanctions extending beyond airlines to companies, intermediaries and procurement networks connected with the aviation sector.
Washington’s stated objective is to restrict Iran’s ability to access international economic and logistical networks.
For Tehran, the aviation pressure comes at a particularly difficult time as the country faces broader economic restrictions and continuing geopolitical tensions with the United States.
The impact could extend beyond airlines if restrictions reduce business travel, tourism, cargo links and other forms of international economic activity.
The immediate question is whether more countries and aviation-service providers will restrict their dealings with Iranian carriers.
The US has made clear that it intends to use the threat of secondary sanctions to pressure foreign businesses into complying with its restrictions. Meanwhile, Iran is seeking to preserve as many international air links as possible.
The coming days will therefore show whether the current cancellations remain limited to specific routes or develop into a broader contraction of Iran’s international aviation network.
For now, Iranian airlines continue to operate some international flights, but access to several important destinations has already been disrupted as the latest US sanctions take effect.
