The United States has imposed new sanctions on all remaining active Iranian airlines, significantly escalating pressure on Iran's aviation sector.
On September 8, the US Department of the Treasury added 36 targets to its sanctions list, including 27 Iranian airlines, as well as several foreign companies and one individual accused of supplying aircraft, spare parts, and technology to Iranian aviation networks. Following Washington's declaration of an "economic war" against Tehran on August 24, this marks the first such large-scale step aimed at restricting Iran's use of aviation to transport weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that any party entering into transactions with the sanctioned Iranian airlines risks being completely cut off from the global financial system. For his part, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott emphasized that Washington will continue to block all financial avenues of the Iranian regime.
The restrictions target Iran Aseman Airlines, Iran Airtour, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air, Karun Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, and several other companies. Just hours after the sanctions were announced, the situation escalated sharply between the two sides: the US announced the destruction of five Iranian tankers, while Iran reported strikes on 10 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, two of which Tehran claimed were American.
This move by the US effectively completes the economic blockade of Iran's civil aviation sector. The air transit restrictions not only strike at Tehran's military-logistics capabilities but also significantly deepen the country's transport isolation from the outside world.
Notably, the announcement of sanctions was almost immediately followed by direct military escalation at sea. This demonstrates that the tools of economic pressure and military confrontation are now proceeding in parallel, heightening the risk of large-scale conflict in the region.
