Iran threatens neighbours as US sanctions disrupt flights

Tehran — Iran has threatened neighbouring countries if they choose to enforce new US aviation sanctions that have led to restrictions on international flights to and from the country. The warning came as Iranian carriers cancelled a number of international flights after the US threatened airports and aviation service providers with secondary sanctions if they did business with Iranian airlines. "Aligning with the United States in implementing hostile policies will remain etched in the memory of the Iranian people," Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, wrote on X on Friday. "Airspace is either open to all or to no one," he continued. "If Iran is denied the right to fly and access airport services, no country in the region will have it either." This week several countries stopped doing business with Iranian airlines and are refusing to allow them to use their airspace. Only a handful of Iranian airlines are still flying from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport to destinations including Russia, China and Turkey. Istanbul in particular is an important hub for trave