A decision to suspend Mahan Air’s Türkiye flights was conveyed to the relevant companies. However, no detailed public text has specified when the measure will take effect or which airports and flights it will cover. Relevant official aviation authorities in Türkiye have also not issued an announcement explicitly confirming the action.
The development followed a new sanctions package imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Iran’s aviation sector. On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department placed 36 targets on its sanctions list under Operation Economic Outcast. The list included Iran’s remaining active airlines, as well as companies in third countries providing aircraft, parts, logistics, finance and general sales agency services.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the decision followed sanctions imposed in April and July 2026 on individuals and entities providing services to Mahan Air’s domestic and international flights. The department claims that Iran-based commercial-looking airlines are used to transport weapons, personnel, sensitive technology and illicit cargo. The assessment reflects the official position of U.S. authorities and is not a court ruling.
Mahan Air is not facing U.S. sanctions for the first time. OFAC placed the airline under sanctions on October 12, 2011, alleging that it provided financial, material and technological support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. In December 2019, the U.S. Department of State again targeted the company under sanctions authorities aimed at individuals and entities supporting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Sanctions pressure expanded during the summer of 2026 through steps targeting networks serving Mahan Air. On September 9, 2026, three Türkiye-based companies came under U.S. sanctions over alleged links to Mahan Air. The development showed that sanctions risks could extend beyond the airline to ground services, logistics, aircraft procurement, maintenance and financing chains.
If the information that Mahan Air’s Türkiye flights have been suspended is accurate, the practical impact of U.S. sanctions on the Türkiye operations of an Iran-based airline may have increased. It remains unclear whether the action was implemented directly by Turkish authorities or through airport operators and service providers, and how passengers and tickets will be affected.
