The United States launched the first visible strike in its revamped economic war against Iran on Thursday, as airlines from the Islamic Republic were barred from landing in several neighboring countries. The move followed a Washington policy shift threatening sanctions against any global company continuing to do business with Iranian carriers after Sept. 23. The immediate fallout was swift, with the region’s most important aviation hub leading the response.
The UAE’s civil aviation authority announced it was suspending all Iranian airline flights until further notice, citing the new American policy. Reports also emerged of flight bans extending to Oman, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Iraqi capital. Iranian authorities moved quickly to explore alternative routing through another Iraqi city that serves as a major religious destination for Shi’ite pilgrims. Meanwhile, flight listings out of Tehran’s main international airport showed scheduled service continuing to Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey but with a conspicuous absence of any routes to Gulf states.
What secondary sanctions mean
The flight disruptions represent the opening chapter of what Washington has...