- New US aviation sanctions trigger widespread cancellations
- All flights between Iran and UAE halted
- Direct flights to Muscat and Doha suspended
- Turkish Airlines suspends all flights to Iran until March 2027
- Iran threatens retaliation against compliant countries
New US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines have led to the cancellation of flights between Iran and Gulf neighbours including the United Arab Emirates. The measures form part of a campaign described by President Donald Trump as economic D-Day. Iranian media reported that all flights to the UAE had been halted with no arrivals or departures visible on Dubai and Abu Dhabi airport websites. Iran has threatened retaliation against countries that comply with the ban.
The secondary sanctions penalise global aviation entities providing fuel ticket sales or landing services to Iranian aircraft threatening to disconnect violators from the US dollar system. This has forced multiple neighbouring nations to immediately cut ties. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the country entirely cutting off access to Dubai. Direct flights connecting Tehran to Muscat and Doha have been halted while flight operations to Baghdad International Airport have been banned.While US officials claim up to 90pc of Iran’s external flights are being grounded a few restricted corridors remain active with flights to China and Russia continuing to operate. Travel to Turkey has faced severe disruption with Turkish Airlines proactively suspending all its own flights to Iran until at least March 2027. Civilians are increasingly forced onto heavily congested overland border routes where security inspection wait times have quadrupled. In response to the air blockade Tehran has threatened severe retaliation with senior Iranian officials warning they will make regional airports unusable if neighbouring countries comply with the US ban
