US Expands Iran Pressure with New Sanctions on Aviation Sector

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is imposing sanctions on 36 companies and individuals across several countries as part of an expanded "economic isolation" campaign aimed at cutting off the Iranian regime from the international financial system. The U.S. State Department stated that the sanctioned entities have aided Iran's aviation industry, which Washington alleges is used by Tehran to facilitate weapons proliferation and support terrorism.

The U.S. Treasury Department is sanctioning all remaining active Iranian airlines, as well as non-Iranian companies that provided cargo, sales, and aircraft acquisition services for Mahan Air. "We will not relent in our effort to shut down the financial lifeblood of the Iranian regime, including its aviation sector," the State Department declared, emphasizing that the current measures target entities outside Iran that support its aviation industry.

Washington claims this support enables Tehran to maintain its aviation network, which the U.S. government asserts is also used for military purposes and to fund terrorist activities. Mahan Air has previously been targeted by U.S. sanctions, reportedly due to its alleged involvement in transferring weapons to Syria and facilitating shipments that Israel attacked in prior years.

This latest action follows previous U.S. efforts against foreign companies assisting Iran in acquiring aircraft. In May 2015, Washington sanctioned two companies in Iraq and the UAE for allegedly helping Mahan Air purchase civilian planes. These new sanctions are in addition to other measures taken against Iran's financing and procurement networks, including sanctions in August against entities supporting Iran's "shadow banking" system and sanctions in May targeting individuals involved in Iran's oil and petrochemical trade, aimed at cutting off revenue sources for the regime's regional activities.