UAE Suspends Iranian Airline Flights amid US Sanctions
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the decision in a statement published by the official Emirates News Agency (WAM), saying it was based on US sanctions that prevent Iranian airlines from using airports around the world.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The United Arab Emirates has suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the country, effective Thursday, until further notice, in a move linked to US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the decision in a statement published by the official Emirates News Agency (WAM), saying it was based on US sanctions that prevent Iranian airlines from using airports around the world.
The suspension comes after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Iranian airlines could effectively be shut out of international operations.
“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC on Monday, according to reports. He warned that foreign airports and companies providing services to Iranian carriers could face US sanctions if they continued to provide services such as fuel, landing assistance and ticketing.
The warning followed a September 8 decision by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to sanction 36 targets linked to Iran’s aviation sector. The action included 27 Iranian airlines, along with foreign companies and intermediaries accused by Washington of supporting Iran’s aviation industry.
According to the Treasury, the sanctions also target networks involved in aircraft transfers, cargo services, sales-agent support and the procurement of US-origin aircraft and aviation technology. Washington says Iran’s aviation sector is used to facilitate the movement of weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.
The measures form part of the Trump administration’s broader “Operation Economic Outcast,” a campaign aimed at increasing pressure on Iran by restricting its access to international financial networks and revenue sources.
Iranian airlines have been subject to extensive US sanctions for years, limiting their access to aircraft, spare parts, aviation technology and international financial services. The latest measures extend the pressure to foreign entities that continue providing services to Iranian carriers.