The Trump administration has enacted sweeping sanctions against Iran's airline industry, designating 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers and sales agents across Turkey, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates. This action, part of a broader "Operation Economic Outcast," aims to sever the Iranian regime's financial lifelines and dismantle networks supporting its aviation sector, which the US alleges is used for transporting weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo, particularly by Mahan Air.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added these entities to its Specially Designated Nationals List. Among the sanctioned Iranian airlines are Air Shiraz, Fly Persia Airlines, Fly Kish Airlines, Ata Airlines Company, and Iran Aseman Airlines. The sanctions also targeted third-country firms facilitating Mahan Air's activities, such as UAE-based ECT Aviation Support LLC and Turkey-based Sky Phoenix Hava Yollari Tasimaciligi Ticaret Limited Sirketi, which were involved in diverting B-777 aircraft to Mahan Air. Other service providers, like Turkey-based S Sistem Lojistik Hizmetler Anonim Sirketi and Mes Cargo Transportation Tourism and Foreign Trade Limited Company, Malaysia-based Icargo SDN BHD, and Kazakhstan-based Tour Invest LLC, were sanctioned for coordinating shipments or acting as general sales agents for Mahan Air.
These measures effectively terminate all licenses that allowed non-US airlines to fly US-origin or US-controlled commercial aircraft into Iran and authorized overflights. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent warned of severe consequences for any entity continuing to support Iran's aviation sector, emphasizing that all property and interests of the designated individuals and entities in the US or under the control of US persons are blocked. This latest move follows previous designations in August 2026 against critical sectors of the Iranian economy, marking a continued effort to isolate Tehran and pressure its regime.
