The US Treasury on 8 September moved to sanction 27 Iranian airlines and several foreign facilitators in a sweeping action aimed at Iran’s aviation sector and the support network around Mahan Air. The package also targeted the procurement and transshipment channels Washington says helped Mahan Air obtain at least three Boeing 777 aircraft this summer, tightening pressure on carriers that still operate in and around Iran.
Treasury also suspended three Iran-related aviation authorisations, including overflight permissions and allowances for non-US airlines flying US-origin or US-controlled commercial aircraft into Iran. The action covered entities in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, reflecting a wider effort to disrupt the commercial ecosystem used to source aircraft, parts and sensitive aviation technology.
The aircraft transfers are central to the latest case. Treasury linked the Boeing 777s to a route that involved the UAE and Oman, with temporary registrations used during the process. The carriers targeted include names that formed much of Iran’s remaining active airline network, making the move one of the most extensive US aviation sanctions packages imposed on Tehran in recent years.