The Trump administration is claiming that Iranian airlines are grounded as of today, as part of increased sanctions. However, so far it doesn’t seem like Iranian airlines (and some foreign countries) are fully cooperating…
US uses sanctions to ground Iranian airlines
The United States has long had sanctions against Iran, and those have only intensified since early this year, with the start of the war. While Iranian airlines have been banned from flying to countries with direct sanctions against Iran, they’ve been able to continue flying to most other countries.
Well, if the Trump administration is to be believed, that’s no longer the case. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Iranian airlines are being shut down around the world as of today, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. According to Bessent, here’s how this is being done:
“How do we do that? If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.”
So if this is to be believed, foreign countries servicing Iranian planes would face complete exclusion from the American banking system. And without the ability to refuel or provide services, it obviously makes it very difficult for Iranian carriers to fly abroad.
This aviation embargo comes as the Trump administration is trying to increase economic measures against the Iranian regime, under Operation Economic Fury.
Iranian airlines cancel some flights, operate others
In light of these new sanctions as of September 23, 2026, Iranian airlines have already canceled some flights, including to Baghdad (BGW), Baku (GYD), Doha (DOH), Muscat (MCT), and Tbilisi (TBS).
However, other international flights are continuing to operate. For example, Mahan Air operated flight W581 from Tehran (IKA) to Guangzhou, China (CAN) today, using an Airbus A340-300 with the registration code EP-MMC. Interestingly, there seems to be some coordination here with Chinese authorities, because the website of Guangzhou’s airport specifically didn’t list this flight, and surely that’s not a coincidence.
Furthermore, Mahan Air also operated flight W557 to Phuket, Thailand (HKT), and landed this morning, using a Boeing 777-200ER with the registration code EP-MTB.
Both the Guangzhou and Phuket flights are expected to return to Tehran in the coming hours, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens there. Did China and Thailand refuel the planes and provide services? I wouldn’t be surprised if China simply doesn’t care about threats of sanctions from the United States, but I’m a bit more surprised to see Thailand be onboard with this.
Bottom line
The Trump administration is stepping up sanctions on Iran, and that includes trying to ban Iranian airlines from operating internationally. While Iranian carriers have been banned from countries directly sanctioning Iran, the latest is that if foreign countries service Iranian aircraft, they’ll face complete exclusion from the American banking system.
While Iran Air and Mahan Air have canceled most of their international flights, we have seen some flights to China and Thailand continue. I suspect China just doesn’t care about threats of US sanctions, but Thailand is an interesting one.
How do you see this playing out for Iranian airlines?
Went through IST today, plenty of Iranian airlines around, operating normally. So much for big orange's attempt at sanctions.
Coincidentally, I just read this news last night but forgot the news source-- meaning the website. It is very petty and undiplomatic to begin the ban of Iranian airlines today when its president delivered the speech at the UN. At least, Trump did not reject the entry visa for the Iranian team like he did to the PLO President Abbas. The UN headquarter should be moved outside the US to avoid being a political ping-pong....
Coincidentally, I just read this news last night but forgot the news source-- meaning the website. It is very petty and undiplomatic to begin the ban of Iranian airlines today when its president delivered the speech at the UN. At least, Trump did not reject the entry visa for the Iranian team like he did to the PLO President Abbas. The UN headquarter should be moved outside the US to avoid being a political ping-pong. Below are the links to enlighten readers on topics of terrorism and the conflicts between the US/Israel and the Muslims in Middle East and North Africa. Before you attack other people who present the facts and truths that are contradictory to your viewpoints and belief, explore their credentials and compare if yours with match their immense knowledge of the topic. It is an unequivocal resounding "NO".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yri55EVEmFc
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/head-to-head/2017/3/21/martin-mcguinness-can-political-violence-be-justified
Don't make up a story Ben, it's list on GuangZhou airport website
https://www.baiyunairport.com/flight/arr?keyword=W581
@ Steven -- It's there for September 24, but not for the September 23 arrival, which is what was being referenced. Or am I missing something?
Iran has become very proficient in overcoming sanctions, usually through phantom companies. Now, for airports it is more difficult to hide, because they are very real infrastructure, but I would not be surprised if - with Iranian advice - they will find a way.
The irony is that Trump is making a strong case for the dedollarization of global trade - first by raising tariffs causing a depletion in US dollar reserves for foreign countries, and encouraging countries to trade more with each other than with the US further leading to a fall in demand for the dollar, and now by stating exactly what a threat the dependence on the dollar is. Well done - where countries have never...
The irony is that Trump is making a strong case for the dedollarization of global trade - first by raising tariffs causing a depletion in US dollar reserves for foreign countries, and encouraging countries to trade more with each other than with the US further leading to a fall in demand for the dollar, and now by stating exactly what a threat the dependence on the dollar is. Well done - where countries have never actively sought an alternative currency for global commerce, they most definitely are actively looking now.
Huh? What kind of title is that? Why would Iran "cooperate"? They've been sponsoring teorrism for decades and are almost singlehandedly responsible for the mess that is Middle East, what makes anyone expect that suddenly they'll comply with some sanctions Trump decided to make up (without any legal basis outside of US law really)?
Hmmm....Israel bullied the US into starting a war with Iran to block off the Strait of Hormuz. That caused the "mess" you are referring to. But yes I agree with you that why would any sanction from Trump stop Iran from doing what they want.
@Arzan, not bullied, fooled. And not US, but the Orange buffon
Ah because Middle East was so peaceful before February this year...
Well - "Israel bullied US". How do we understand this? Has US became so weak, at least institutionally, that Israel can bully USA into a war?
Why YES we have ! Hello ?
I wouldn't say that Iran is responsible for the mess that is the Middle East. I would say that the main responsible party is Shi'a Islam. Shi'ites are a persecution complex with weaponry. All because they refuse to admit reality and keep pimping a guy who got a poison sword in the head in 661. Ali sucked (not Cassius Clay), both as a cousin and a son-in-law. Stop fighting the First Fitna and the First Crusade, pieces of Shi'ite, and join us in the 21st Century.
What a bigoted and hateful thing to say, ORD.
I am bigoted and hateful and take no shame in it, so trying to blast me for that, missy, is futile.
You've gotta love how this site's viewers' viewpoint of Iran have shifted right after Trump returned to the D.C. Back then, Iran was a terrorist state killing women and children, but they're now suddenly yet another victim of American imperialism.
I appreciate you keeping your articles and comments per se neutral in politics. I'm sorry that majority of those reading your priceless articles are this insufferable.
Iran has not changed. They are still a terrorist state killing women and children. America just got worse, to the point where they somehow became the bad guys in all of this.
The only difference is that the American people got to choose their government, which makes them a lot more to blame for this state of affairs than the Iranian people.
I'm not saying that America is right or Iran has became a role model. It's the hypocrisy of the OMAAT viewers.
During any Democrat administration, they would have consistently blamed Iran and supported any form of US intervention or however the civilians are killed. But because Trump is in charge of everything, they have to make Iran the victim of it all. At least you're recognizing what the Iranian regime is up to.
...I'm not saying that America is right or Iran has became a role model. It's the hypocrisy of the OMAAT viewers.
During any Democrat administration, they would have consistently blamed Iran and supported any form of US intervention or however the civilians are killed. But because Trump is in charge of everything, they have to make Iran the victim of it all. At least you're recognizing what the Iranian regime is up to.
Everyone involved in this war is as pathetic as one can get. US began a literal war to hide the pedophile allegation. Israel is going to another war as a supposed victim nation from Islamic extremist terrorist group. Iran is killing their own people and dragging them into a war.
And as always, the population thinks there're right and wrong in this war.
N17017 has a laughably bad-faith argument. Nobody thinks the Iranian regime has changed - they are still a terrorist state killing women and children. The Iranian people should absolutely rise up and rid themselves of these monsters. At the same time, Trump launched a poorly-planned war of choice that the vast majority of Americans oppose, and has only served to prop of the Iranian regime while making Americans significantly poorer. So don't come on here...
N17017 has a laughably bad-faith argument. Nobody thinks the Iranian regime has changed - they are still a terrorist state killing women and children. The Iranian people should absolutely rise up and rid themselves of these monsters. At the same time, Trump launched a poorly-planned war of choice that the vast majority of Americans oppose, and has only served to prop of the Iranian regime while making Americans significantly poorer. So don't come on here with your weird, dumb assertions and hope to score points, friend.
Clearly, critical thinking doesn't seem to be your strong suit. Show me one commentator that said Iran is good or is supporting Iran. This Iranian regime has killed women and children in and outside Iran and unfortunately will continue to kill until it is thrown out and hanged themselves.
What people are complaining about is, USA didn't need to get into this war. But Bibi fooled the orange buffon into joining this war and also...
Clearly, critical thinking doesn't seem to be your strong suit. Show me one commentator that said Iran is good or is supporting Iran. This Iranian regime has killed women and children in and outside Iran and unfortunately will continue to kill until it is thrown out and hanged themselves.
What people are complaining about is, USA didn't need to get into this war. But Bibi fooled the orange buffon into joining this war and also made USA kill women and children. Not only that, didn't get rid of the regime and made life far worse for Iranians, Americans and rest of the world. All because he is too dumb to know how dumb he is.
Here's a solution for your first world problem - don't read the comments. Anyways they are too smart for your intellect.
Well if Iran is a terrorist state and does all you claim, so is Israel.....who have gone one step further and committed genocide. Maybe the same sanctions should apply to them too ?
If Israel was committing genocide against the Pathetic-stinians, they would have rolled tanks through the West Bank as well as Gaza. They didn't, therefore no genocide.
All of these comments are suggesting nothing but this. You look at it whatever way you would like to and steer away from the truths.
But whatever you or even myself say won't change the facts that Iran is responsible for numerous deaths, Israel is playing the victim card and the US is again wasting the taxpayer dollars and labeling it as a justice.
Enjoy deluding yourselves.
What's funny is you sound so combative and yet nobody is disagreeing with your evaluation of the situation at hand - just your random and totally irrelevant suggestion that people wouldn't be upset if this happened under a Democratic administration, which is false on so many levels it's not even worth arguing over.
Look at how the hypocrites of OMAAT reacted towards Israel and the US when Israel-Hamas War broke out, and compare that sentiment to what is it like right now.
There's a reason why even a dumbass like Trump won the election again. Because Democrats never learn and admit what's wrong with themselves.
@N17017, by not admitting what's wrong with themselves, they are simply following in the footsteps of the GREATEST American president that has ever lived or ever will.
The problem is not the Democrats. The problem is that 50% of the US voting population is, for lack of a better term, irredeemably evil pieces of feces. I would have thrown my hands up in the air and declared America hopeless if Trump had gotten only 1/3 of the vote in 2024. There is just something terribly wrong with a country with so many people who would do such a thing.
There was nothing wrong with Kamala, not by way of comparison with the GOP in any case.
Iran is run by a dictatorship. Israel endorses terrorism in the Palestinian territories. The US is endorsing terrorism by proxy through Israel and directly by assassinating leaders it considers a threat to itself. All three are pathetic and have washed their hands with the blood of innocent. Absolutely disgusting. 🤮
The world is treating the fat orange Nazi as the clown he is, and nobody takes him seriously anymore. The combination of the malignant narcissism, late-stage syphilis, and stage 5 dementia has turned his gelatinous brain into soup, and he's now a laughing stock. His "speech" at the UN was presented as a fan rally, but nobody laughed, nobody clapped, and nobody cared.
This diktat on Iran will be laughed away, just like everything...
The world is treating the fat orange Nazi as the clown he is, and nobody takes him seriously anymore. The combination of the malignant narcissism, late-stage syphilis, and stage 5 dementia has turned his gelatinous brain into soup, and he's now a laughing stock. His "speech" at the UN was presented as a fan rally, but nobody laughed, nobody clapped, and nobody cared.
This diktat on Iran will be laughed away, just like everything he says, and the USA's former allies will continue working together, without the US, on future trade accords. The entire maladministration has turned "tariff" into a fetish doll, nothing more.
Shameful.
But tell us how you REALLY feel...
Everybody knows how TravelinNPC evaluates matters of this kind.
Orange Man Bad.
"Orange Man Bad."
Nope. Orange Thing Is a Living Grotesquerie.
And your support (amongst millions of others'), along with the Republic party's shirking all responsibility for checks on the orange baboon, are the causes of this monstrosity's enablement, N17017BFC.
And back on topic, airlines are great! :)
Keep it up and in due time the U.S. Dollar will no longer be the world's reserve currency. Using the Dollar as a weapon is bound to come back and bite you; hard.
Bud, regrettably, it'll 'bite' us all...
Keep calm and bully on.
First they come for Ukraine.
Then they come for Epstein.
Then they come for Iran.
Finally they will come for you.
Is it unfair to be wary of the Middle East , and want to go somewhere else to water ski ?
Somewhat related: Iran's president is in NYC today (September 23), speaking at the UN. I presume he isn't taking Iran Air or Mahan Air back to Tehran...
1990 - all u.n. diplomats are schnorrers who refuse to pay their parking tickets .
Bah! In certain neighborhoods in this city... it sure feels less expensive to just get the tickets, then to pay for the actual parking... (thank goodness I do not have a car in the city.)
The West Wing clip video on UN Parking Tickets is a very entertaining 3 minutes.
And now that they are bringing back green "you didn't move your car" stickers, I used some of my Paze credits on some Goo-Gone and a razor blade remover at Newegg. Thanks Paze!
@ 1990_ -- Hah, I have a post scheduled for that shortly, as that's quite interesting as well. :-)
About parking fines or the UN puppet show with a diplomatic immunity power trip?
@Eskimo; I hear they brought their diplomatic immunity power strip, but forgot the international adapter. D’oh!
Excellent post as well! (No, Eskimo, bah! Iranian president's aircraft is a former VS a340!)