Hours after new EU sanctions, Tehran’s flagship airliner Iran Air cancelled all of its flights to Europe via an SMS message to passengers on Monday.

A number of travellers contacted Euronews Farsi, stating they received a text message from Imam Khomeini Airport in the Iranian capital informing them that their flights to European destinations had been cancelled.

After calling the airport to contact the airline, the operator told them that the cause was linked to EU sanctions against the airline.

On Monday, the EU added three Iranian airlines — Iran Air, Mahan and Saha — to its list with new sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities.

The sanctions have targeted companies and individuals involved in the air missile transfer program by building, supplying and transporting drones and parts used in their maintenance to Russia.

None of the three airlines have responded to questions about the sanctions by the time of publishing.