Iran is suspending flights to Baghdad and Muscat as new US sanctions target services supporting Iranian airlines.
Iran has suspended flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat as new restrictions affecting Iranian airlines and their international operations take effect.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said Baghdad and Muscat airports would no longer accept Iranian flights from midnight Wednesday. Iranian authorities are negotiating with Iraqi officials to redirect Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf International Airport, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The move would preserve some air connectivity between Iran and Iraq, particularly for passengers traveling to Najaf and other destinations in the country. As of Wednesday morning, flights between Najaf and Iran were still operating as scheduled, according to a Najaf airport spokesperson cited by Shafaq News.
Iranian officials also said other international routes, including flights to Istanbul, were expected to continue according to their schedules. Iranian authorities were separately in discussions with Oman over the restrictions affecting flights to Muscat.
Iraq has also ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad beginning at midnight Wednesday, two sources told Reuters. Iraqi authorities were considering whether Iranian flights could instead be redirected to Najaf.
The changes come as the United States intensifies pressure on Iran’s aviation sector. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Iranian airlines would effectively be cut off from international operations from Sept. 23 through the threat of secondary sanctions against companies providing services to them.
The US Treasury announced on Sept. 8 that its Office of Foreign Assets Control had sanctioned 36 targets linked to Iran’s aviation sector, saying the network supported the movement of weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.
The latest restrictions could create additional difficulties for Iranian airlines that depend on foreign airports for services such as refueling, landing assistance, ground handling and ticketing. Bessent said companies providing such services to Iranian carriers could face US penalties.
The suspension of Tehran-Baghdad flights is particularly significant for Iranian travelers because Iraq is an important destination for religious visits as well as commercial and other travel. Redirecting flights to Najaf could allow part of the air link between the two countries to continue while access to Baghdad remains restricted.
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