Iranian airlines were barred from neighbouring countries including the UAE and Oman on Thursday after new U.S. secondary sanctions took effect \u2014 the first big hit from Washington\u2019s push to target third-country firms that do business with Iran, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
The UAE\u2019s General Civil Aviation Authority said it was suspending all flights by Iranian airlines until further notice after the U.S. deadline of September 23 for companies worldwide to stop business with Iranian airlines, aiming to ground Iran\u2019s civil fleet. Iran\u2019s Tasnim news agency said flights were also shut to Oman, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Baghdad, with authorities working to route to Najaf. President Trump has called the broader secondary-sanctions strategy \u201ceconomic D-Day.\u201d On Wednesday a senior Iranian official threatened to make airports \u201cunusable\u201d in any regional country that abides by the U.S. ban.<\/p>\n
Separately, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles Thursday; the Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones, and Saudi authorities issued alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and Yanbu. With the U.S.\u2013Israeli war against Iran largely stalemated for months on the battlefield, secondary sanctions mark a shift toward economic pressure beyond the combat zone.<\/p>\n