US Sanctions Ground Iranian Flights as China Rejects Measures

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian airlines have canceled flights to Baghdad and Muscat starting Wednesday after the US imposed new restrictions targeting Iran’s aviation sector, Iranian Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Majid Akhavan said.

Akhavan said Baghdad and Muscat airports would no longer accept Iranian flights from midnight local time, while flights operated by other foreign carriers remain unaffected.

The cancellations follow US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement that Iranian airlines would face restrictions from September 23, including bans on flight operations and access to ground services.

Earlier, Azerbaijan Airlines said Azerbaijan had also barred Iranian carriers from operating flights to the country, citing the US sanctions.

Washington earlier this month sanctioned Iran’s remaining airlines not previously targeted under its aviation measures, along with foreign companies and intermediaries accused of supporting the Iranian aviation sector.

Bessent warned that airports and companies providing services to Iranian airlines could face exclusion from the US financial system.

Meanwhile, China rejected the latest US measures, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun describing unilateral sanctions without a UN Security Council mandate as “illegal” and contrary to international law.

Beijing, a major economic and diplomatic partner of Iran, reiterated its call for disputes involving Tehran to be addressed through political and diplomatic means.