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Turkish Airlines reportedly suspended all flights to Iran until at least March 2027, a company representative told Iran International, as pressure mounts on Iran's aviation sector following a fresh warning from the United States Treasury Department. Iraq is also moving to halt Iranian carrier operations, according to Iraqi government sources cited by AFP.
A Turkish Airlines representative told Iran International by phone that the carrier currently has no flights scheduled to Iran before March 2027, and gave no assurance that service would resume even after that date, according to the outlet's report.
Türkiye has long been one of the most accessible foreign destinations for Iranians, offering relatively affordable travel and extensive air links that support tourism, family visits and business ties between the two countries.
The suspension comes as Washington intensifies its campaign against Iran's aviation sector, targeting Iranian airlines as well as foreign companies accused of supporting their operations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Iranian airlines would effectively be barred from international operations starting Sept. 23 under sweeping US sanctions, warning that airports and companies providing services to sanctioned Iranian carriers could themselves face American penalties, Iran International reported.
The US Treasury has in recent years repeatedly sanctioned Iranian airlines and affiliated firms, accusing them of transporting weapons and military equipment on behalf of Tehran and its regional allies, part of a broader Washington strategy of using financial and sectoral sanctions to isolate Iran's economy.
Iraq will also suspend flights by Iranian airlines starting Tuesday at dawn, in line with the US Treasury decision, two Iraqi government sources told AFP.
"Iraq will enforce the ban on Iranian airlines in accordance with the US Treasury decision starting Tuesday at dawn," one official said, warning that countries failing to implement the measure risk sanctions themselves. A second Iraqi government source confirmed the decision to AFP.
Iraq is a major destination for Iranian travelers, particularly Shiite pilgrims visiting the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Travel volumes surge around religious occasions such as Arbaeen, when large numbers of Iranians cross into Iraq to visit Shiite shrines, a pattern that makes any suspension of Iranian airline operations especially consequential for religious travel between the two countries, Iran International reported.
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