The United Arab Emirates has suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines, in compliance with the sanctions imposed by United States.
“All flights by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled since midnight,” the ISNA news agency reported.
Following the halting of flights, an Iran Airtour flight from Tehran to Dubai faced cancellation shortly before its departure, AFP cited a passenger as saying.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent had earlier this week announced new measures as part of an earlier threat to impose “economic D-Day” on Iran under ‘Operation Economic Outcast’.
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The Donald Trump-led administration had designated 27 airlines on September 8, covering the remaining Iranian carriers that had not previously been sanctioned by Washington, Al Jazeera reported. The recent designations have also targeted individuals and entities linked to aviation support and procurement in UAE, Turkey, China, India, United Kingdom, Malaysia and elsewhere.
US sanctions on Iran airlines: Flights to Qatar, Azerbaijan, Muscat cancelled
Trump has, in the past few weeks, sought to exert financial strain on the Iranian regime, seeking to force it into submission after nearly seven months of the West Asia crisis.
After the latest measures were announced, Iranian airlines were forced to cancel some international flights on Wednesday. Georgia and Azerbaijan officially confirmed suspending flights to and from Iran.
Apart from this, lights to Baghdad, Muscat and Qatar were also halted, a travel agent in Tehran told AFP. Iranian media also reported these flight cancellations, with Tasnim news agency citing a civil aviation spokesperson as saying that Baghdad and Muscat airports “will no longer accept” Iran flights. Some flights to Istanbul were scheduled, while others had been cancelled, AFP cited the travel agent as saying.
“The situation is unstable and we are no longer selling tickets for the time being for fear of cancellations,” the agent said, while requesting anonymity.
Flights to Thailand, China and other destinations continue to operate
Meanwhile, despite the sanctions taking effect on Wednesday, Iranian airlines have continued to operate international flights, in defiance of restrictions meant to ground the Islamic Republic’s fleet by imposing sanctions on companies that provide services to the carriers, Bloomberg reported.
According to data by flight tracking site Flightradar24, at least half a dozen flights travelled from Iran to destinations including Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; Shanghai; and Kabul, Afghanistan.
Iran’s biggest airport, the Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, has flights scheduled to international destinations such as China, Turkey, Dubai, as well as Najaf in Iraq.
