The Turkish national carrier canceled five Friday flights to the Iranian capital. The reason is the large-scale demonstrations caused by the economic collapse and the record collapse of the rial. Iranian airlines also added to the restrictions, and some machines had to turn around in the air.
Turkish Airlines has canceled five Friday flights from Istanbul, Turkey, to the Iranian capital, Tehran. The reason is the protests that broke out in response to the rising cost of living and represent a challenge for the local authorities, TASR reports, according to an AFP report.
- Turkish Airlines canceled five flights from Istanbul to Tehran.
- The flight cancellations are linked to demonstrations against the high cost of living.
- Other flights were also canceled by Iranian airlines.
- The protests were sparked by a sharp drop in the Iranian currency.
- At least 45 protesters were killed in the crackdown.
Flight cancellations
The application of the airport in Istanbul shows that five other flights operated by Iranian airlines were also canceled. The Turkish authorities have not yet officially commented on the situation in neighboring Iran.
According to data from the website Flight Radar, a Turkish Airlines flight bound for Shiraz and a Pegasus flight bound for Mashhad turned around and returned from Iranian airspace on Thursday evening.
The wave of protests was triggered by a sharp drop in the value of the Iranian currency
Before the demonstrations broke out, the Iranian government was already facing a severe economic crisis caused by long-term international sanctions while recovering from a June air war with Israel. The current wave of protests was triggered by a sharp drop in the value of the Iranian currency. At the beginning of 2026, the exchange rate for one dollar has significantly exceeded 1.4 million rials, at the time of the Iranian revolution in 1979, it was about 70 rials. Demonstrations began on December 28 in Tehran and later spread to other areas of the country.
The government responded by cutting off the internet and international phone calls, making contact between citizens difficult. According to the Iranian human rights organization IHRNGO, at least 45 protesters, including eight juveniles, were killed during the protests.
