Iran-Gulf flights disrupted after US deadline on airlines

Flights between Iran and several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, were disrupted on Thursday after a US deadline for international companies to stop working with Iranian airlines expired.

The development comes as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran. The United States has expanded its sanctions strategy by targeting companies in third countries that continue to conduct business with Iranian entities. The policy is aimed at extending the reach of existing financial restrictions through so-called secondary sanctions.

US President Donald Trump previously described the latest campaign as “economic D-Day”, signalling a major escalation in Washington’s efforts to pressure Iran.

The US Treasury had given companies around the world until September 23 to comply with restrictions targeting Iranian airlines. Washington says the measures are intended to prevent Iranian civilian aircraft from operating through international airports.

Iran had warned neighbouring countries against complying with the US restrictions. Tehran said on Wednesday that it could take retaliatory measures against countries implementing the ban and potentially make their airports “unusable”.

Despite the lack of immediate announcements from several countries, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that flights between Iran and the UAE had been suspended from midnight.

Flight information on the websites of Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports showed no visible arrivals or departures involving Iran on Thursday. Websites operated by Iranian airlines Qeshm Air and Varesh Airlines also indicated that flights to the UAE had been cancelled.

The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency later confirmed that the country had suspended flights operated by Iranian carriers to and from the UAE until further notice.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said the decision took effect on Thursday. It attributed the move to the US restrictions on Iranian airlines using airports in different countries.

The authority said it would continue coordinating with relevant authorities and provide updates on developments until air connectivity between the UAE and Iran returns to normal. It also urged travellers to rely on official sources for information.

However, flights between Iran and several other countries continued to appear on Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport schedule. These included destinations in Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Iraq, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Türkiye.

ISNA also reported that a flight heading to Tajikistan had been forced to return after Turkmenistan closed its airspace.

A prolonged suspension of international flights could further isolate Iran and add pressure to an economy already facing severe restrictions. The disruption comes amid wider tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel and existing restrictions affecting Iran’s international trade and transport links.