Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, warned neighbours not to enforce US aviation sanctions: if Iran were denied airspace or airport services, no regional state would have either. Iranian airlines have cancelled international flights.
The US threatened airports and aviation service providers with secondary sanctions if they did business with Iranian airlines. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Washington aimed to deter cooperation, threatening countries with exclusion from the US dollar system if they supplied fuel or ground services or sold tickets for Iranian airlines. Several countries this week stopped doing business with the carriers and refused them use of their airspace.
Only a handful of Iranian airlines are still flying from Tehran to destinations including Russia, China and Turkey. Mahan Air, Iran's largest private airline, has suspended service to Turkey. Istanbul is an important hub for travellers going between Iran and Europe or the United States, and passengers there have reported uncertainty and chaos at Iranian airline counters.
