TEHRAN: Iran warned on Friday that regional air travel could face disruption as Iran flight restrictions widened under growing US sanctions pressure.
Supreme leader adviser Mohammad Mokhber said countries denying Iranian airlines flights and airport services could face similar disruption. “No country in the region will have that possibility either,” he wrote, without explaining how Tehran would act.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei had issued a similar warning on Wednesday. He cautioned neighbouring airports against cooperating with Washington’s campaign.
Meanwhile, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniya suspended flights to and from Iran after earlier restrictions at Baghdad airport. Najaf’s suspension began at 2:00 am on Friday and was announced until further notice.
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Restrictions have spread elsewhere. The United Arab Emirates halted flights operated by Iranian airlines on Thursday, while Azerbaijan stopped Iranian carrier services on Tuesday. Flights to Georgia had also been affected since September 21.
Washington sanctioned 36 aviation-related targets on September 8, including 27 Iranian airlines. The US Treasury said its measures targeted aviation networks it accuses of transporting weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.Travel agencies described longer overland journeys for some passengers seeking alternative routes to Iran.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to convey Tehran’s conditions to Washington again in New York, according to Rezaei.
Senior Iranian officials warned that regional aviation could face disruption as restrictions on Iranian airlines spread across Iraq and other nearby markets.
Harakat al-Nujaba is an Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militant group that operates in Iraq and Syria and is designated a terrorist organization by the United States.
