Iran says flights to Turkey, China and Asia continue despite airline sanctions

TEHRAN, Sept 26 : Flights from Tehran to Turkey, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Pakistan are continuing despite recent restrictions imposed on Iranian airlines, the head of the operating company of Imam Khomeini International Airport said Saturday.

Ramin Kashef-Azar told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that, apart from routes previously canceled to the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Georgia, no additional countries had announced new restrictions on Iranian flights.

He said Iranian aviation officials were in talks with the relevant countries to restore suspended routes, adding that inbound and outbound flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport were otherwise operating normally.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council denied reports that Tehran planned to respond militarily to the restrictions on Iranian air travel.

The council’s secretariat said Iran was holding talks with relevant countries to remove what it described as “unlawful” aviation restrictions.

It said Tehran had several non-military retaliatory options available and could apply them to some airports if necessary, while expressing hope that the dispute would not escalate to that stage.