Georgia and Azerbaijan Halt Iranian Flights; Rezaei Warns Neighbours of Retaliation

According to Al Jazeera, Azerbaijan and Georgia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (1 Mehr 1405) confirmed suspending Iranian flights, and flights to Baghdad and Muscat have also been halted. Citing the ISNA news agency, Al Jazeera reported that all Iranian flights to and from the United Arab Emirates were cancelled on Thursday, September 24. The moves follow the US Treasury's extension of sanctions to 27 Iranian airlines and its threat of secondary sanctions against airports and companies that service Iranian aircraft.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television that if a country cooperates with the US restrictions, its airports will no longer be able to operate flights to Iran, but he did not specify what form a response would take. Hormatollah Rafiei, head of Iran's association of air travel and tourism agencies, told Mehr News Agency that Oman has cancelled Iranian flights and that Iraq has banned Baghdad flights while keeping Najaf flights running; flights to Turkey (except for two airlines), China, Malaysia and Indonesia continue, he said. Al Jazeera, citing aviation analytics firm Cirium, reported that Iran's international flight capacity in August 2026 was 49% lower than a year earlier.