Iran airlines cancel flights as U.S. sanctions hit - National Post

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference during the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Photo by Anna Moneymaker /Getty ImagesArticle contentIranian airlines were forced to cancel some international flights on Wednesday after the U.S. tightened sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry in a new effort to cripple its economy.

Georgia and Azerbaijan have officially confirmed suspending flights, and a travel agent in Tehran told AFP that flights to Baghdad, Muscat and Qatar were also halted, though routes to other destinations remained available, including China.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the new measures on Monday as part of an earlier threat to impose “economic D-Day” on Iran, an attempt to force it into submission following nearly seven months of war.

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But Iran’s aviation sector has already been a target of sanctions for years, and it remains to be seen which other countries will comply.

On Wednesday, the head of Iran’s top national security body threatened reciprocal action against those that do.

Even after the new sanctions took effect on Wednesday, a flight from Tehran operated by Mahan Air, one of Iran’s biggest carriers, landed in Guangzhou in China, according to tracking data from FlightRadar24.

China said on Tuesday that it opposed the US sanctions, calling them illegal. A flight to Shanghai was also due to depart on Wednesday, according to Tehran’s international airport.

Some flights to Istanbul were also scheduled, though others had been cancelled, the travel agent in Tehran told AFP.

“The situation is unstable and we are no longer selling tickets for the time being for fear of cancellations,” the agent said, requesting anonymity.

A Mahan flight from Kabul was also expected to arrive in Tehran. According to the website for Tehran’s international airport, other connections to Turkey and Armenia remained possible using smaller Iranian airlines, including Varesh.