Iran halts all flights to the UAE as fresh US sanctions squeeze aviation

What changed overnight

By Thursday, schedules showed no services between Dubai's airports and Tehran's main international hub, Imam Khomeini.

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the halt and said it will stay in effect until further notice, state news agency WAM reported, noting the action stems from the US ban.

Sanctions pressure and the pushback

Washington's latest sanctions target Iran's aviation ecosystem, warning that airport operators and companies providing refueling and other support to Iranian carriers could face secondary penalties. In practice, monitoring and enforcing that risk will be hard to police.

Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaee, issued a warning to countries that choose to enforce the US sanctions. "We urge all countries in the region not to get drawn into American adventurism," Rezaee said on Wednesday, according to Iran's state-run IRNA. "If they block Iranian aircraft from flying, their own airports will also be unable to operate flights."

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Only two other aviation authorities in countries with air links to Iran have publicly announced a blanket prohibition on Iranian carriers: Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The route map keeps shrinking

The latest cancellations tighten an already narrow corridor for international travel. Even before the war that began in February, few foreign airlines kept regular schedules to Iran, and the conflict prompted non-domestic carriers to suspend flights to the country.

On Tuesday, Tasnim said that airports in Baghdad and the city of Muscat in Oman would stop accepting Iranian flights. Separately, Mahan Air said last week it was indefinitely suspending all Turkey and Oman routes, citing directives from those governments.

Why it matters if you fly or ship through the Gulf

Fewer direct options mean longer detours, tighter connections, and likely higher prices where alternatives exist. If you rely on Gulf hubs for trade, family visits, or medical travel, plan for disruptions and less predictable itineraries for now.

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