Iran has cancelled flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat after US sanctions pressure began to disrupt international operations, while other routes including Istanbul continued to run. The Civil Aviation Organisation in Tehran said the Baghdad and Muscat services were suspended from midnight on Wednesday, and Iraq separately moved to stop Iranian flights from landing at Baghdad airport.
The disruption follows a US Treasury move that effectively shut Iranian airlines out of international operations from 23 September and warned airports, fuel suppliers, ground handlers and ticketing firms against servicing sanctioned carriers. The measures have already forced several regional route changes, including reported suspensions to Qatar, Georgia and Azerbaijan, although flights to China and some services to Turkey were still operating.
The curbs are beginning to affect airport acceptance decisions as well as airline schedules, raising compliance risks across the regional aviation supply chain. Iranian aviation officials have indicated that talks are under way over Baghdad and Muscat services, but the pattern of cancellations suggests further disruption could spread if foreign airports and service providers tighten restrictions further.