On Sept. 21, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that foreign airports and firms serving Iranian airlines would lose access to the dollar system if they continued. By Sept. 23, several countries had restricted flights, but the global shutdown he predicted had not occurred.
The UAE suspended flights by all Iranian airlines from midnight Sept. 23. In Turkey, Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus pulled their Iran flights; Turkish Airlines listed none until March 2027. Georgia and Azerbaijan banned Iranian airlines, while Tehran–Muscat flights were canceled. Baghdad airport stopped handling Iranian carriers, though flights to Najaf continued. Mahan Air landed in Guangzhou after the deadline, and service to Shanghai continued. A Turkish Airlines representative said there was no guarantee flights would resume even after March 2027.
The warning followed Treasury’s Sept. 8 designation of 27 Iranian carriers and penalties for companies still supporting Mahan Air. Treasury’s release accused Tehran of using the airlines to move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo. In Iran, travelers crowded the Bazargan and Razi crossings into Turkey; bus tickets were reportedly selling on the black market for four times their normal price.
