In late September, travellers could still fly directly from Tehran to Dubai in less than three hours, with a ticket costing between $100 and $200.
uncertain
travellers → fly → 100
Less than a month later, it can take up to 18 hours to make the same journey and cost more than $1,000.
asserted
it → take → 1,000
3Ahead of US midterms, voters are frustrated with Trump, want change: Poll
asserted
voters → frustrate → change
- list 2 of 3What is the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ US could use in Iran?
uncertain
US → use → Iran
The change is the result of a new round of United States sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and foreign companies providing them with services.
asserted
change → target → services
The restrictions intensified after a September 23 deadline for companies to stop servicing Iranian carriers, leading to the suspension of direct flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, as well as a number of other countries.
asserted
companies → intensify → countries
The United States has sought to block routes into and out of Iran and, more broadly, restrict access to the country.
asserted
States → seek → country
In August, the US announced Operation Economic Outcast as a means of increasing pressure on Iran, targeting the few remaining sectors of the Iranian economy still connected to the global economy.
asserted
US → announce → economy
As part of the campaign, the US sanctioned 27 airlines operating in Iran.
asserted
US → sanction → Iran
Airports, fuel suppliers, ground-handling service providers and other foreign companies working with Iranian airlines were threatened with secondary sanctions, potentially cutting them off from the US financial system.
asserted
Airports → handle → system
The first sign of the impact of the new sanctions came on September 24, when an Iranian flight travelling from Tehran to Dushanbe was forced to turn back mid-journey and return to Tehran after it was denied permission to enter Turkmenistan’s airspace.
asserted
it → come → airspace
The UAE, Azerbaijan, and Georgia also suspended services for Iranian flights.
asserted
UAE → suspend → flights
Flights between Iran and Muscat and Baghdad were halted, while a number of flights from Iran to neighbouring Turkiye were cancelled.
asserted
number → halt → Turkiye
Flights from Iran to the popular Shia pilgrimage destination of Najaf in Iraq were also briefly disrupted in late September.
asserted
Flights → disrupt → September
All this was happening against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which had already caused widespread disruption to the country’s international air links.
asserted
which → happen → links
The vast majority of international airlines have yet to resume their services to Iran.
asserted
majority → have → Iran
Flights to countries including China and Russia have continued despite the latest US measures, but restoring suspended routes will require negotiations with other governments.
asserted
restoring → include → governments
More than three weeks after the new aviation sanctions came into effect, routes to destinations including Moscow, Najaf, Istanbul, Yerevan and Guangzhou in China have continued operating.
asserted
routes → come → China
But Iran’s international flight network remains severely restricted.
asserted
network → remain → ?
The situation has created major disruption for both people travelling to Iran and those leaving the country.
asserted
situation → create → country
Amir, 43, who lives in the US state of Illinois, described the challenges his ailing mother faced in attempting to travel to Iran.
asserted
mother → live → Iran
“My mother lives in the United States, but her medical records are in Iran,” he said.
asserted
he → live → Iran
“For months, her medical appointments have been delayed because of the war and the conditions it has created.
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it → delay → war
“A few weeks ago, we decided to take advantage of the relative calm and make a trip to Iran so she could receive medical care.
uncertain
she → decide → care
But then the new sanctions were announced, effectively disrupting flights to Iran.
asserted
sanctions → announce → Iran
“Now, to get to Iran, we have to fly to Istanbul and wait there for several hours or even several days, depending on when a flight to Iran is available,” Amir said, adding that it was also difficult to purchase Iranian airline tickets from outside the country as a result of international sanctions.
“Making such a journey is extremely stressful for a woman travelling alone who is also ill.
asserted
who → get → woman
The sanctions have also had a significant impact on Iran’s domestic travel.
asserted
sanctions → have → travel
Majid Hosseini-Nejad, the founder of Alibaba Travel Group, one of the country’s largest online platforms for booking travel tickets and accommodation, told Al Jazeera that the new sanctions had affected ticket sales.
asserted
sanctions → book → sales
“As a result of the recent sanctions, around 20 percent of the flights operating from Iran to international destinations have been suspended,” Hosseini-Nejad said.
asserted
Nejad → operate → destinations
“This has reduced revenues for airline ticket-booking services.
asserted
This → reduce → services
Airlines’ revenues have also fallen significantly because of the sanctions.”
asserted
revenues → fall → sanctions
On October 11, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that its Department of Economic Affairs was continuing efforts to facilitate Iranian flights to destinations in other countries.
asserted
Department → announce → countries
Flights to and from Iran continue to face lengthy delays, last-minute cancellations and, in some cases, even diversions back to their point of departure.
asserted
Flights → continue → departure
For now, Iranian travellers have little clarity about when the situation might change.
uncertain
situation → have → clarity
Another traveller named Amir, an Iranian national who flies regularly between Iran and Oman for work, said, “Beyond the other financial losses caused by the sanctions, flight cancellations have added another layer of difficulty to our lives.
asserted
cancellations → name → lives
Every trip between Muscat and Tehran now takes several times longer and costs several times more than before.
asserted
trip → take → more
“It is unclear when the situation will change, or whether it will improve at all.”
uncertain
it → change → ?
The Aporia
