The United States has announced new measures targeting Iran’s aviation sector, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying Iranian airlines will be shut down internationally from September 23 as Washington expands sanctions against Tehran.
Bessent made the statement in an interview with CNBC on September 21, saying that foreign companies providing services to Iranian airlines would face consequences under the US sanctions regime. He specifically cited services including aircraft refuelling, landing facilities and ticket sales.
The announcement follows a major sanctions action by the US Department of the Treasury on September 8. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 36 targets connected to Iran’s aviation sector. The action included the designation of 27 Iranian airlines under US Executive Order 13902, which allows sanctions against certain sectors of the Iranian economy.
Among the airlines designated by OFAC are Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air, Sepehran Airlines, Varesh Airlines and Zagros Airlines. The Treasury described the September 8 action as targeting Iran’s remaining active airlines and said the measures were intended to restrict networks supporting the country’s aviation sector.
The latest measures rely in part on the threat of secondary sanctions. Under the approach outlined by Bessent, foreign companies that continue providing essential services to sanctioned Iranian airlines could face restrictions affecting their access to the US financial system.
Bessent said companies would not be able to provide fuel, landing services or ticket sales to Iranian aircraft without risking their access to the US dollar system. This means the US measure is aimed not only at Iranian airlines themselves but also at international businesses and service providers that enable their operations outside Iran.
The Treasury has previously used sanctions against companies connected to Iran’s aviation industry. Its September 8 announcement also targeted third-country businesses and intermediaries that Washington said were involved in aircraft procurement, cargo services and other activities connected to sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air.
OFAC also suspended certain existing authorizations related to Iranian civil aviation. These included an authorization covering the temporary re-export of certain civil aircraft to Iran and other aviation-related transactions. OFAC said it would consider aviation-safety-related requests on a case-by-case basis.
The US Treasury said the September sanctions were part of a broader campaign known as Operation Economic Outcast, which seeks to restrict financial and commercial channels supporting the Iranian government. The department has described aviation as one of the sectors being targeted under the campaign.
The effect of the September 23 measure will depend partly on how foreign airports, fuel suppliers, ground-service companies and ticketing businesses respond to the sanctions threat. Iranian airlines depend on these services when operating international routes, making access to foreign aviation infrastructure an important factor in their ability to maintain international operations.
The announcement does not constitute a single worldwide aviation order issued by the United States that physically prevents Iranian aircraft from entering every country’s airspace. Instead, the policy uses US sanctions and the threat of restrictions on foreign companies to pressure businesses to stop providing services to sanctioned Iranian carriers.
Bessent said the United States has also been discussing sanctions enforcement with other countries. He specifically referred to discussions involving China and said Washington had been holding talks with international partners regarding enforcement.
The new measures mark a further escalation of US economic pressure on Iran’s aviation industry. Beginning September 23, the ability of Iranian airlines to maintain international operations will depend increasingly on whether foreign aviation and financial service providers continue to work with them despite the potential consequences under the US sanctions regime.
