Tehran's Growing Isolation: Flight Suspensions Disrupt Lives of Iranians

Traveling and communicating with the outside world is becoming increasingly difficult for Iranians as restrictions on Iranian flights widen following new US sanctions, coinciding with domestic measures that have closed one of the few educational and cultural spaces that had connected Iranians to the world for decades.

A Farsh Air flight from Tehran to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, was forced to turn back after Turkmenistan refused to allow it to use its airspace.

These developments come after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on September 21 the imposition of sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines, threatening secondary sanctions against foreign companies that continue to provide services to these firms, including fuel, ground handling, and airport services.

The article states that these measures are part of US pressure targeting the Iranian economy, coinciding with restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and tightened sanctions.

Limited Flights and Growing Doubts
The status of Iranian international flights remains volatile, with some international routes still operating, particularly those to China, Russia, and Afghanistan, in addition to some flights to Turkey operated by Iranian airlines.

However, uncertainty has led some Iranian travel agencies to stop selling certain tickets, fearing the cancellation of scheduled flights.

The Iranian aviation sector has been under US sanctions for years, making it difficult to determine the actual impact of the new sanctions and the extent of their ongoing repercussions on airlines and international flights.

The consequences of the sanctions are not limited to air traffic but have extended to the plans of Iranian students wishing to study abroad.

In recent weeks, obtaining certain international tests required for admission to foreign universities has become more difficult. Among these tests is the TOEFL exam, a key test for measuring English proficiency.

After the US Treasury suspended General License "G," Educational Testing Service (ETS), the American entity responsible for administering the TOEFL exam, stopped conducting the test within Iran.

Iranian students who wish to take the exam are now forced, if their means and circumstances allow, to travel to another country to do so, adding new costs and burdens to their study-abroad plans.

Closure of French Language Center
While US sanctions hinder some travel and study pathways, Iranian authorities have closed another avenue for those wishing to study abroad.

On September 20, Iranian authorities closed the French Language Center in Tehran, affiliated with the French Embassy, which had been operating for over 20 years, based on an order from the Tehran Public Prosecutor's Office.

The Iranian judiciary accused the center of continuing its activities without the required licenses, despite receiving several formal warnings, and of engaging in activities deemed contrary to culture and national security, including "creating networks and facilitating the travel of qualified Iranians abroad."

The center used to host approximately 5,000 students annually, offering courses in the French language, preparatory programs, and sessions for obtaining official French language certificates, including the internationally recognized DELF and DALF diplomas.

The center also housed a "Campus France" office, which provided information and support to Iranians wishing to pursue their studies in France.

Paris strongly condemned the closure decision, stating that it would affect thousands of Iranians who benefited from the center's programs and courses each year.

A Constantly Shrinking Prison
For some students, the closure of the center was not just the shutdown of an educational institution, but a direct blow to long-prepared study plans.

According to Le Monde newspaper, Sadaf, a 31-year-old Iranian woman, said she had been studying French at the center for a year and a half and planned to study cinema in France.

She recounted being shocked when she arrived at the center on September 21 to find its doors closed. Sadaf was preparing to take the DELF exam in December to begin university application procedures, but the center's closure left her study plan facing an unclear future.

She said: "Every time we try to open a door, Iranian authorities slam it shut forcefully. No one considers our motivations, nor the money and time we invest. I feel like I am in a prison that is constantly shrinking around me."

Sadaf's experience, according to the report, reflects part of the impact of growing restrictions on Iranians trying to maintain connections with the outside world, whether through travel, education, or cultural and academic exchange, at a time when available options are gradually diminishing.