Turkey, Oman, Azerbaijan, Georgia, UAE stop Mahan Air flights: Airline stops listing routes to India and Malaysia
Pressure piles up on Iran's aviation, financial sectors as rial faces severe depreciation
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has claimed that Turkey and Oman had stopped Mahan Air flights, while the UAE had halted flights by Iranian airlines.
Besides Turkey and Oman, Azerbaijan and Georgia have also suspended Iranian carrier flights.
Mahan Air has also quietly stopped listing routes to India and Malaysia despite no public ban from either government.
The US Treasury gave airlines and service providers until September 23, 2026 to stop servicing Iran Air and Mahan Air or lose access to the dollar system.
But China refused, calling the sanctions "illegal".
Unconfirmed reports show Mahan Air was still flying cargo from China to Tehran at "double its prewar rate this month", CBS News reported.
27 Iranian airlines affected
The US deadline applies to 27 designated Iranian airlines across a broader 36-target aviation crackdown announced in August.
The measures add pressure on Iran's aviation and financial sectors as Tehran's currency faces severe depreciation.
Iran's national security chief warned, however, that countries complying could face airport disruptions of their own.
Bessent also said major banks in Turkey and the UAE had stopped transactions with Iran following US pressure.
He thanked Turkey, Oman, the UAE and Britain for their cooperation, saying the campaign was “delivering results.”
Now, travelers booked on Iran Air or Mahan Air, or connecting through Dubai or Doha, should verify if their flights are still operating before departure.
| Country | Iranian airline(s) / services affected | Date announced | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | All Iranian airlines | Sept. 24, 2026 | UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE until further notice, explicitly citing the new US sanctions. |
| Oman | Iranian airlines, including Mahan Air | Sept. 22–24 | Iranian authorities said Muscat airport would no longer accept Iranian flights from midnight Sept. 23. Mahan Air had already cancelled Tehran–Muscat flights from Sept. 17. Reuters subsequently reported Iranian airlines were barred from Oman. |
| Georgia | Iranian airlines, including Mahan Air | Sept. 23, 2026 | Georgia suspended Iranian flights as the new US aviation sanctions took effect. Mahan Air had announced its own suspension of Georgia services from Sept. 21. |
| Azerbaijan | Iranian airlines | Sept. 23, 2026 | Iranian flights to Azerbaijan were suspended amid implementation of the US sanctions. However, Iran Air said on Sept. 22 that Baku flights were still operating and that it had received no official suspension notice at that point. |
| Iraq | Iranian airlines to Baghdad; later Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah affected | Sept. 22–26, 2026 | Baghdad stopped accepting Iranian flights from midnight Sept. 23. Iran sought to divert Baghdad services to Najaf, but subsequent reports said several Iraqi destinations also restricted Iranian connections. Iraq was seeking a US exemption. |
| Turkey | Iranian airlines | Sept. 18, 2026 | On Sept. 18, Mahan Air announced it would suspend its Istanbul and Ankara services from Sept. 21, with the final flights on Sept. 20. Iran Air said on Sept. 22 that its Istanbul flights were continuing, saying it had received no official suspension instruction from Turkish aviation authorities. |
On Sept. 18, Mahan Air announced it would suspend its Istanbul and Ankara services from Sept. 21, with the final flights on Sept. 20.
Iran Air said on Sept. 22 that its Istanbul flights were continuing, saying it had received no official suspension instruction from Turkish aviation authorities.
China has not joined the reported suspension. Reports indicate Iranian carriers have continued some services to China, and China has objected to the US sanctions as "unlawful".
Iraq stops accepting Iranian flights
On Sept. 23, Baghdad stopped accepting Iranian flights from midnight Sept. 23. Iran sought to divert Baghdad services to Najaf, but subsequent reports said several Iraqi destinations also restricted Iranian connections, as per Al Arabiya.
Iraqi aviation sources told Reuters that Baghdad’s suspension followed government instructions, consistent with U.S. sanctions pressure on airports servicing Iranian carriers.
Najaf diversion attempt, then wider Iraqi restrictions. Iranian authorities initially explored diverting Baghdad-bound services to Najaf, with reports suggesting that route might remain open.
However, Najaf suspended flights to/from Iran at 2 am on Friday (Sept. 25), closing off the alternative Tehran had considered, according to Iran International.
Subsequently, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah also suspended Iranian flights starting Friday, meaning all four Iraqi airports handling Iranian traffic—Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah—were restricting connections, Reuters reported.
On Sept. 26, Iraq’s prime minister’s office said it was in direct talks with the United States to secure exemptions for certain Iraqi airports so Iranian flights could resume on humanitarian grounds (medical treatment, education, religious visits, civilian needs).
European Union: different category
The EU already has aviation restrictions on individual Iranian carriers, but this is not the same as the September 2026 wave of countries suspending Iranian flights because of the new US sanctions.
The EU Air Safety List updated in May 2026 included Iran Aseman Airlines among carriers banned from EU skies, while Iran Air was subject to operational restrictions requiring specific aircraft types.
Hormuz remains the central bargaining chip
The Strait of Hormuz, however, remains at the heart of the dispute.
Iran has linked any reopening of the waterway to its conditions being met, while Washington has rejected the idea that Tehran should be able to use the strait as leverage in negotiations.
The crisis has sharply disrupted maritime traffic and energy flows, although US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that oil shipments through Hormuz were averaging nearly 13 million barrels a day, with flows exceeding pre-war levels on at least one day last week.
That suggests the situation is more complicated than claims that the waterway is completely closed or empty.
China also pushes diplomacy
China has also sought to keep a diplomatic route open. President Xi Jinping told Trump last week that Beijing supported a return to the June Islamabad agreement, which was aimed at ending the conflict and reopening Hormuz.
China's involvement adds another diplomatic channel as Qatar continues efforts to bridge the US and Iranian positions.
What happens next
The immediate question is whether Washington will send Tehran a formal response through the mediators — and whether that response differs from Trump's public rejection.
Iran has kept its conditions for reopening Hormuz in place, while Washington continues military and economic pressure.
For now, the diplomatic channel remains open even as the two sides publicly reject each other's terms. The possibility of renewed talks therefore coexists with continued preparations for further military confrontation.
