- Mahan Air halted flights to Türkiye after U.S. sanctions hit Iran’s aviation sector on September 8, 2026.
- Operation Economic Outcast targeted 36 entities, including 27 Iranian airlines and nine third-country intermediaries.
- General License DD sets a September 23 wind-down deadline for certain aviation transactions and authorizations.
Mahan Air halted flights to Türkiye after the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iran’s aviation sector on September 8, 2026. The suspension affects the Tehran-Ankara route in both directions.
Turkish reporting said the airline formally communicated the stoppage to relevant companies. Turkish authorities also directed the carrier to suspend flights to Türkiye, with no resumption timeline announced.
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Other airlines continue flying the route. The immediate disruption therefore centers on the Iranian carrier, not all air travel between Iran and Türkiye.
The action, labeled “Operation Economic Outcast,” targeted 36 entities. The list included 27 Iranian airlines and nine third-country intermediaries.
The department said it targeted “all remaining Iranian airlines” not already sanctioned. Treasury also warned companies that continue working with them.
“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”
The measures reach beyond individual carriers. They also suspend aviation permissions that foreign operators and other aviation businesses used in connection with Iran.
The sanctions set a September 23 deadline for aviation wind-downs
The United States suspended three aviation authorizations. The measures include permissions linked to overflights and foreign airlines using U.S.-origin or U.S.-controlled aircraft on flights to Iran.
| Measure or event | Date or scope |
|---|---|
| Treasury sanctions | September 8, 2026 |
| Iranian airlines designated | 27 |
| Third-country firms or intermediaries designated | 9 |
| General License DD wind-down deadline | 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 23, 2026 |
The Treasury also suspended General License J-1 and other aviation authorizations. General License DD permits certain wind-down transactions until 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 23, 2026.
That deadline gives aviation companies a short period to close affected transactions. It does not restore the suspended permissions.
The enforcement warning covers aircraft transfers, cargo services and general sales agent support. Treasury-linked materials also tied the restrictions to aircraft procurement and transport activity involving weapons, personnel and cargo.
Türkiye has other flights, but the airline lost its route
The carrier had already faced U.S. sanctions since 2011. Those restrictions cited alleged support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
The latest action adds the broader aviation network. Other Iranian carriers named in the designations include Sepehran Airlines, Qeshm Air, Varesh Airlines, Iran Aseman Airlines, Saha Airlines, Zagros Airlines and Taban Airlines.
Foreign companies face exposure too. Treasury said firms and individuals enabling sanctioned Iranian airlines would face “serious consequences.”
“Any foreign firm or individual enabling sanctioned Iranian airlines—including through aircraft transfers, cargo services, or general sales agent support—will face serious consequences for supporting the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”
The route impact remains uneven. Other airlines continued operating between Iran and Türkiye after the suspension.
Georgia is preparing to remove sanctioned Iranian carriers next
Iranian airlines are expected to stop flights to Georgia from September 21, 2026. Their final flights are scheduled for September 20, 2026.
Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency said it would act in “full compliance with the international sanctions regime.” The agency is also considering U.S. and European Union sanctions mechanisms.
| Georgia schedule | Date |
|---|---|
| Final flights by sanctioned Iranian carriers | September 20, 2026 |
| Expected cutoff | September 21, 2026 |
The Georgia deadline follows the Türkiye disruption by only days. Together, the measures show how the sanctions are affecting foreign connectivity route by route.
A constrained fleet faces fewer international outlets
Iran’s civilian aviation sector already operates under pressure from an aging fleet and limited access to spare parts. One analysis put the fleet at 174 aircraft, averaging 28 years old.
Only 75 to 139 aircraft were described as operational. The same analysis warned that prolonged restrictions could ground more planes and reduce direct international services to Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad.
Domestic operations inside Iran do not end immediately under the sanctions. Foreign connectivity narrows instead, while compliance risks rise for overseas partners, insurers and airports dealing with Iranian carriers.
The September 23 wind-down deadline is the next fixed date. Georgia’s cutoff follows on September 21, after final flights on September 20.
