Iraq suspends Iranian flights at all four airports; Iran threatens disruption

New US Treasury sanctions have led to the suspension of Iranian passenger flights to and from all four Iraqi airports (Baghdad, Najaf, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil), as well as suspensions by Georgia and Azerbaijan. Iran has responded with threats of regional aviation disruption if its own flights are impeded, signaling a hardening posture against US pressure. The full operational impact and the exact nature of Iran's potential retaliation remain unclear.

US sanctions have severely impacted Iran's aviation sector, leading to widespread flight suspensions and Iranian threats against regional airports. Concurrently, Iran has repeatedly threatened to expand any conflict with the US or Israel into the Indian Ocean, signaling a significant rhetorical escalation of its asymmetric response options. The credibility of these threats remains unverified, but they indicate a hardening of Iran's posture.