Iran has threatened neighboring countries with retaliation if they enforce new United States sanctions designed to stop Iranian airlines from operating internationally, raising the prospect of further disruption to air travel across a region already affected by the US-Israel war on Iran.
What Iran Has Said Regarding US Aviation Sanctions
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, urged neighboring countries not to participate in the US restrictions. “I urge all our neighbouring countries not to get involved in the United States adventure.”
“If a country cooperates with or embarks on adventures with the United States, its airports will no longer be able to operate flights” to Iran, Rezaei said on Iranian state television, adding that Iran would ensure airports in those countries “cannot function.”
Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the US-based Center for International Policy, described the warning as an attempt at coercive deterrence. “Tehran is signalling that it will not regard compliance with US aviation sanctions as a neutral commercial decision, but as participation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Iran,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera.
Impact on Regional Air Travel and Flight Cancellations
The threats coincide with sweeping cancellations by Iranian carriers after the US warned airports and aviation service providers of secondary sanctions if they continue business with Iran. On Thursday, all Iranian flights to and from the United Arab Emirates were cancelled, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.
Azerbaijan and Georgia confirmed suspending Iranian flights on Wednesday, while connections to Baghdad and Muscat have also been halted. Although several routes to Turkiye and China remain operational, many flights to those destinations have experienced cancellations as well.
The immediate catalyst stems from the US Department of the Treasury’s announcement earlier this month sanctioning Iran’s remaining airlines, alongside foreign companies and intermediaries accused of facilitating their operations. The actions expanded previous restrictions on Mahan Air to cover 27 Iranian airlines and suspended authorizations allowing specific aviation links with Iran. The US accuses Mahan Air of ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports and servicing companies face being cut off from the US financial system if they provide Iranian aircraft with fuel, landing services, or ticket sales.
Can Iran Carry Out Its Threats?
Iran has not publicly clarified what specific actions it might take to disrupt airport operations in neighboring countries, and Rezaei did not specify whether the response would be diplomatic, economic, or military. Iran lacks the legal authority to dictate whether a sovereign nation’s airport accepts Iranian aircraft, just as the US lacks the authority to arbitrarily close foreign airspace.
However, Washington can raise financial risks for local fuel suppliers, ground handlers, and ticketing companies via secondary sanctions. “The important point is that Rezaei left the threat deliberately ambiguous,” Mortazavi said. “He did not specify how Iran would make neighbouring airports unable to operate. But the message is clear: if neighbouring states help Washington isolate Iranian aviation, Tehran is threatening to impose reciprocal costs on their aviation sectors.”
During the opening months of the current conflict with the US and Israel, Iran demonstrated an ability to severely restrict Gulf air travel. Following missile and drone launches at Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan beginning on February 28, those nations partially or entirely closed their airspace in early March. Operations resumed gradually, with Emirates restarting limited flights from Dubai on March 3, Etihad following in Abu Dhabi on March 6, and Qatar Airways resuming services the following week.