Najaf International Airport in Iraq has ceased all air travel to and from Iran as of September 24, following a similar move by the United Arab Emirates. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines effective Thursday to comply with US sanctions targeting the aviation sector. These restrictions follow a US Treasury action on September 8 that sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines, warning foreign entities that providing fuel, landing services, or ticket sales to these carriers could result in exclusion from the US dollar system.

The crackdown has also affected regional airspace and transit. Turkmenistan denied a Varesh Airlines flight from Tehran to Dushanbe access to its airspace, forcing the aircraft to return to Iran. In contrast, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan allowed an Iranian plane to transit their airspace, defying the US pressure campaign. Iraq had previously ordered a suspension of flights to Baghdad earlier in the week, and the UAE mesure marks the latest blow to Iran's decreasing international connectivity.