UAE suspends all Iranian airline flights until further notice

On September 24, 2026, the United Arab Emirates suspended all flights by Iranian airlines until further notice, following new United States secondary sanctions designed to ground Iran's global civil fleet. The measures, which target third-country companies servicing Iranian planes, have triggered flight cancellations and airspace bans across Oman, Iraq, Georgia, and Turkmenistan. While Iran maintains limited routes to Turkey and China, Iranian officials have threatened military retaliation against regional airports enforcing the blockade.

United Arab Emirates suspension of Iranian flights

• ▪Iran's Civil Aviation Organization spokesperson Majid Akhavan stated on September 24, 2026, that diplomatic and aviation talks were underway to restore flights and remove the flight restrictions imposed by the United Arab Emirates
• ▪On September 24, 2026, the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates suspended all Iranian airline flights until further notice, citing United States sanctions targeting their access to global airports

Tehran airport flight status

• ▪Schedules on September 24, 2026, showed no flights between Dubai's two airports and Tehran's main foreign hub, Imam Khomeini International Airport
• ▪Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport maintained scheduled flights to countries resisting United States pressure, including China, Armenia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey, on September 24, 2026

Iranian official reactions

• ▪Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that United States sanctions would only strengthen Iran's resistance to pressure
• ▪Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, threatened on September 23, 2026, that Iran would retaliate by making airports unusable in any regional country that abides by the United States flight ban on Iranian airlines

United States sanctions on Iranian airlines

• ▪The United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines on September 8, 2026, accusing them of transporting weapons and personnel to help Iran circumvent existing sanctions
• ▪United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that all 27 Iranian airlines would be shut down globally starting September 23, 2026
• ▪The United States implemented secondary sanctions on September 24, 2026, targeting foreign companies and airports that provide services like refueling, landing assistance, and ticket sales to Iranian airlines

Flight disruptions and airspace restrictions across the region

• ▪Mahan Air suspended its scheduled flights to and from Istanbul, Ankara, and Muscat during the week of September 24, 2026, while other carriers like Caspian and Sepehran halted flights to Baghdad
• ▪Iranian airlines faced flight cancellations and airspace restrictions in Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan following the implementation of new United States sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector
• ▪A Varesh Airlines Boeing 737 flight from Tehran to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, was forced to turn back on September 24, 2026, after Turkmenistan refused to allow the aircraft to pass through its airspace

Debatable claims

• ▪The US-mandated air blockade of Iran does more harm than good to regional stability
• ▪US secondary sanctions targeting civilian airlines are a legitimate tool of pressure
• ▪The UAE's suspension of Iranian flights is justified to protect its economic interests
• ▪Iran's threat to retaliate against regional airports is a justified response to the flight ban