New US Sanctions Could Complicate Return of Foreign Flights to Iran

New US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector could create further obstacles to the return of foreign airlines, whose flights have effectively stopped following war and heightened regional tensions.

Security risks have been central to the disruption. But the new measures raise the prospect that easing those risks alone may not be enough to bring international services back.

For foreign carriers considering a return, sanctions could add a layer of legal and operational uncertainty to decisions already shaped by regional instability. The extent of that challenge would depend on how the measures apply to their dealings with Iran’s aviation sector.

The sanctions do not necessarily mean that all foreign flights will remain suspended. They could, however, make restoring services more complicated even after conditions become safer.

A recovery in foreign air links with Iran may therefore hinge on more than an improvement in security, with the sanctions environment becoming another factor in airlines’ decisions.