US Secondary Sanctions Halt Iran Air Links Globally as China and Russia Keep Routes Open
Why It MattersSecondary sanctions threaten to fragment global aviation services along geopolitical lines, isolating Iranian carriers to domestic and China/Russia-aligned routes only.
Global airlines and governments are cutting flights to and from Iran after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on September 21 in a CNBC interview that any foreign company transacting with Iranian carriers or providing fueling, ground handling, or ticketing services risks expulsion from the dollar payment system. Iran's Civil Aviation Organization announced that all flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat were canceled as of midnight on September 22 local time. Azerbaijan banned all Iranian airlines from using its airports, and Georgia suspended all flights between Georgia and Iran starting September 21.
Mahan Air, Iran's largest private airline and sanctioned by the US in 2011 for allegedly transporting Iranian military personnel and weapons, notified customers it would suspend flights to Türkiye and Oman at those governments' request. The US has also expanded sanctions on Iran's aviation sector, arguing that Iranian civilian flights have been used to transport military materiel and personnel, and pressure has intensified around the Strait of Hormuz alongside a US maritime blockade affecting Iran's logistics network.
China and Russia continue to allow Iranian airlines to operate; flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed Mahan Air aircraft flying to Moscow and Guangzhou as late as September 22. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "the friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Iran based on mutual respect and mutual benefit are legitimate and lawful." Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former US deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury, warned that if global service providers can no longer support Iranian airlines, "Iranian carriers will eventually be reduced to effectively domestic-focused airlines."
The flight suspensions are expected to worsen economic hardship for Iranians already facing high inflation and a sharp depreciation of the rial, as private airlines have played a key role in importing pharmaceuticals, auto parts, and other essential goods, as well as enabling international travel.
