US Sanctions Fail to Halt Iranian Flights to Afghanistan

DID Press: Despite intensified U.S. sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector and restrictions imposed by some regional countries, Iranian airlines continue operating flights to Afghanistan, with services between Kabul and Tehran and Kabul and Mashhad still running, according to Afghan aviation officials and local media reports.

The United States on September 8 imposed sanctions on 27 remaining Iranian airlines as part of a broader package targeting Iran’s aviation sector and related networks. The U.S. Treasury said the measures were intended to restrict networks supporting Iran’s aviation industry.

Several Iranian carriers, including Iran Air Tour, Iran Air, Taban Airlines, Saha Airlines, Mahan Air and Varesh Airlines, have continued to serve Afghan routes, according to the report.

Ahmad Sir Rahimi, head of Afghanistan’s Union of Travel and Medical Tourism Companies, said flights between Kabul and Tehran, as well as Kabul and Mashhad, and return services remain operational. Afghan carriers Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines also operate on these routes.

The continued flights come as Iranian aviation links with several other countries have been disrupted. The UAE suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines, while restrictions have also affected Iranian services to destinations including Iraq, Oman, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The U.S. measures have not, however, automatically amounted to a worldwide legal ban on Iranian aircraft flying to every foreign destination. Their practical effect has also depended on whether airports, fuel suppliers, ground handlers and other aviation-service providers continue working with sanctioned airlines.