Iran to halt Tehran flights to Baghdad and Muscat from Wednesday
International routes, including Istanbul, are unaffected, Tasnim reports
Published
Iran will cancel flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat starting Wednesday at midnight local time, Tasnim news agency reports. Iran is working on diverting the Baghdad route through Najaf instead. International flights, including those to Istanbul, continue as scheduled.
The cancellations come as diplomatic contacts between the US and Iran have widened. Trump said a recent meeting with Iran was very productive and that another is scheduled soon, and he said a separate three hour session between a US official and Iran's delegation went very well. Iran's president is already in New York, and Arab mediators are pushing for a direct US-Iran meeting at the UN, though none has been set. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kallas, has also met Iran's foreign minister, Araghchi.
At the same time, Iran has taken a harder line in other areas. The IRGC spokesman, Hossein Mohebi, said Iran has hardened its conditions for ending the war with the US after an earlier deal collapsed. Iran's parliament has proposed a 20% fine for ships that breach Hormuz transit rules, and Iran has said it will detain vessels until a 20% Hormuz fee is paid.
The flight cancellations point to operational preparation for possible escalation even as diplomatic overtures continue. That combination sits awkwardly with the upbeat messaging from Trump and mediators about the prospects for a deal, and suggests Iran is hedging toward conflict readiness while talks proceed. For anyone pricing near-term de-escalation, the move tilts the odds more bearish.