The U.S. Treasury Department has taken economic pressure on Iran’s aviation industry to a new level by placing all remaining regime airlines on its sanctions list. The action targets 36 individuals and entities linked to Iran’s aviation industry.
On Tuesday, September 8, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Iranian regime airlines that had not previously been subject to Washington’s sanctions had also been sanctioned. In total, 27 Iranian airlines and a number of related companies and entities in other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, have been added to the new list.
According to reports, Qeshm Air, Kish Air, Taban, Zagros, Aseman, and Iran Airtour are among the Iranian airlines targeted in this round of sanctions.
The U.S. Treasury Department has stated that the Iranian regime uses the aviation industry to transport weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the new sanctions are part of the campaign of economic pressure against the Iranian regime. According to him, companies that continue to support Mahan Air have also been targeted by sanctions.
Bessent warned companies and individuals that cooperate with the Iranian regime’s remaining airlines that such cooperation could put them at risk of losing access to the global financial system.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has also sanctioned several companies based in third countries. Washington has accused these companies of participating in activities related to Mahan Air, including the illicit procurement of U.S.-origin aircraft and providing services for the airline’s flights.
Mahan Air had previously been subject to U.S. sanctions. Washington has accused the airline of facilitating the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Additional Pressure on the Aviation Industry
In recent years, Iran’s aviation industry has faced extensive restrictions as a result of sanctions on the purchase of aircraft, spare parts, and repair and maintenance services. The new U.S. sanctions now also cover all of the Iranian regime’s remaining airlines.
Meanwhile, Farzaneh Sadegh, the Iranian regime’s minister of roads and urban development, said in mid-August that about 100 civilian aircraft had been damaged or destroyed in U.S. and Israeli attacks during the 40-day war. According to her, eight of these aircraft had been completely destroyed
The U.S. Treasury Department has emphasized that the purpose of these measures is to intensify economic pressure on the Iranian regime and restrict channels for financing and supporting sectors linked to it. If fully implemented, the sanctions on all remaining airlines could further intensify the existing financial and operational restrictions on the Iranian regime’s aviation industry.
