US Imposes Sweeping Sanctions on Iranian Aviation Sector

The US Treasury Department announced a new package of sanctions on Tuesday targeting Iran's aviation sector as part of a broader campaign to increase economic pressure on Tehran. The measures include sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines, such as Kish Airlines, Iran Air Tour, and ATA Airlines, as well as nine foreign service providers and sales agents based in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia. These foreign entities are accused of providing services to Mahan Air, a private airline sanctioned since 2011 for its alleged support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the transport of arms. The US Treasury also suspended aviation authorizations that previously allowed overflights and permitted non-US airlines using US-controlled aircraft to fly into Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the initiative, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, as an effort to cut off financial lifelines to the Iranian regime. The sanctions come amid an ongoing conflict that began in February 2025, characterized by a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and recent military exchanges, including US strikes on Iranian tankers and Iranian rocket attacks on US bases in Jordan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the measures on social media, questioning the effectiveness of adding more sanctions after decades of economic pressure. While some US officials suggest the measures are effectively removing the Iranian aviation sector from the market, some experts cited by CNN expressed skepticism regarding the impact on a regime accustomed to sanctions and questioned whether the US would target key Iranian partners like China.