US sanctions disrupt Iranian flights, driving up travel times and costs
New United States aviation sanctions are disrupting international travel from Iran, with passengers facing cancelled routes, longer journeys and sharply higher fares. The impact has been most visible on travel to nearby hubs such as Dubai, where a trip that could take less than three hours in late September can now take up to 18 hours. Ticket prices on that route have also risen sharply, from about $100-$200 to more than $1,000.
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The changes follow a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and foreign companies that provide them with services. According to the supplied report, a September 23 deadline required companies to stop servicing Iranian carriers, after which direct flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates and several other countries were suspended. The measures also threaten airports, fuel suppliers, ground-handling firms and other foreign companies with secondary sanctions if they continue working with Iranian airlines.
The disruption has already affected a wider set of routes. On September 24, an Iranian flight from Tehran to Dushanbe was forced to turn back after it was denied permission to enter Turkmenistan airspace. The UAE, Azerbaijan and Georgia also suspended services for Iranian flights, while flights between Iran and Muscat and Baghdad were halted.
Services from Iran to Turkiye were also cancelled, and flights to Najaf in Iraq were briefly disrupted in late September. The sanctions matter because they are not only limiting travel options but also increasing the cost of leaving and entering Iran. The report says the United States is seeking to block routes into and out of Iran more broadly, as part of a campaign to increase pressure on the country.
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That has direct consequences for passengers, airlines and service providers, and it adds another layer of strain to Iran's already restricted international air links. The latest measures were introduced after the United States announced Operation Economic Outcast in August, described as a campaign to target the remaining sectors of the Iranian economy still connected to the global market. As part of that effort, 27 airlines operating in Iran were sanctioned.
The report also says the wider backdrop includes the US-Israeli war on Iran, which had already caused major disruption to the country's international aviation links. What remains unclear is how quickly suspended routes could return, and which governments or companies may be willing to restore services. Flights to China and Russia have continued despite the latest measures, but the report says reopening other routes will require negotiations with other governments.
For now, the immediate picture is one of reduced connectivity, higher costs and continued uncertainty for travellers and carriers linked to Iran.
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