The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines and 36 entities tied to Iran’s aviation sector, escalating pressure on carriers and intermediaries used to move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo. The action, taken under Operation Economic Outcast, also targets third-country enablers in the UAE and Turkey and tightens scrutiny on aircraft transfers, cargo handling and sales support linked to Iranian operators.
Treasury linked the move to Iran’s use of commercial aviation to procure aircraft and sensitive technology, with Mahan Air singled out alongside other carriers. The package follows an August determination that extended sanctions exposure to Iran’s aviation sector, broadening the government’s ability to penalise foreign firms and individuals doing business with it.
The measures also suspend selected aviation-related licences and wind down certain authorised transactions, cutting off channels that had supported civil aviation links to Iran. For the industry, the decision raises compliance risk for lessors, brokers, freight handlers and service providers that could be exposed through aircraft parts, overflight services or transshipment routes connected to sanctioned airlines.