Economic isolation deepens: Iranian aviation giant scales back operations - and residents are busy surviving

Iranian airline Mahan Air has suspended flights to Oman and is expected to discontinue routes to Turkey, following new American sanctions on Iran's aviation industry. Citizens in the country testify that most of the public is occupied with daily survival and is not directly affected by the flight restrictions.

Iranian airline Mahan Air has suspended its flights to Oman and will also cease routes to Turkey, amid the tightening of American sanctions on the Iranian aviation industry. The decision came about a week after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new restrictions aimed at reducing the ability of the Iranian industry to operate outside the country's borders. The restrictions warn foreign companies and countries that cooperation with Iranian airlines could put them at risk of punishment. Simultaneously, sanctions were directly imposed on 27 Iranian airlines, and licenses were revoked that allowed the supply of services or parts for civilian aircraft manufactured in the U.S. or those composed of at least 10% American components. The Iranian aviation industry, particularly Mahan Air, has been in the American crosshairs for over a decade due to allegations that it is used to transfer equipment and military personnel for the Revolutionary Guards. Iranian citizens are quoted in the article as struggling to cope: a 62-year-old housewife said that the Iranian people are the ones who suffer, and an accountant from Mashhad noted that the government's military policy led to isolation and sanctions, but added that the aviation sanctions affect only five percent of the population, while most citizens are busy with basic survival.