Iranian airliner seized in Istanbul over €3M debt amid US sanctions squeeze

Bailiffs in Istanbul boarded a Caspian Airlines Boeing 737 and served a €3 million debt order, preventing takeoff with passengers aboard. The seizure follows the recent imposition of US secondary sanctions on Iran's aviation sector, which have already halved international flights from Tehran. This incident highlights the compounding financial and operational pressures on Iranian carriers, though the debt claim appears unrelated to sanctions.