Airlines in Iran Face Global Grounding Threat From September 23
By The Aviation Hub
3 min read
Airlines in Iran are facing the prospect of being effectively shut out of international aviation from September 23, after the United States threatened secondary sanctions against foreign companies that continue providing services to the country’s carriers.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on September 21 that the measures would target the international aviation infrastructure Iranian airlines rely upon, including airports, fuel suppliers, ground handlers and ticketing companies.
Foreign Aviation Providers Targeted
The threat represents a significant escalation in the United States’ campaign against Iran’s aviation sector.
Rather than targeting Iranian airlines alone, Washington is seeking to pressure the foreign companies that allow those carriers to continue operating internationally.
Bessent said that companies providing fuel, landing services or ticket sales to Iranian airlines could risk being excluded from the US dollar financial system.
The threat therefore extends well beyond Iran itself, potentially placing international airports and aviation suppliers in a difficult position when dealing with Iranian carriers.
The measures are expected to take effect from September 23, with Bessent stating that all airlines in Iran would be shut down around the world from that date.
27 Airlines in Iran Already Sanctioned
The latest threat follows a major Treasury action earlier in September, when the US Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 27 airlines in Iran under existing authorities targeting Iran’s aviation sector.
The September 8 action included carriers such as Iran Aseman Airlines, Iran Air Tour, Qeshm Air, Kish Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Airlines, Varesh Airlines and Zagros Airlines.
Treasury also targeted companies and intermediaries accused of supporting Iran’s aviation industry.
The US Treasury said Iranian commercial aviation has been used by the Iran regime for activities including the movement of weapons, personnel and other cargo.
Washington has also previously targeted networks supporting Mahan Air, which the Treasury has accused of providing logistical support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
International Connectivity At Risk For Iran
The consequences for airlines in Iran could be substantial if foreign aviation providers comply with the US warning.
An airline operating an international flight requires access to a wide network of services, including airport infrastructure, fuel, ground handling and ticket distribution.
Removing access to those services could make it extremely difficult for Iranian carriers to maintain international schedules even where they are technically permitted to fly.
Iran & it’s international aviation network has already faced increasing pressure.
Mahan Air, for example, recently suspended international flights to Istanbul, Ankara and Muscat amid mounting sanctions pressure.
A New Challenge For Iranian Aviation
The latest measures could therefore mark a new phase in the isolation of the Iran aviation industry.
The US Treasury’s September sanctions were part of its wider “Operation Economic Outcast”, which Washington says is intended to disrupt the financial and commercial networks supporting the Iranian government.
Treasury has warned that entities facilitating sanctions evasion or providing material support to Iran could face exclusion from the US financial system.
For Iranian airlines, the immediate question is whether foreign airports, fuel companies, ground handlers and ticketing providers will continue serving them after September 23.
If those services are withdrawn on a widespread basis, the ability of Iranian carriers to maintain international operations could be severely restricted.
The coming days will therefore provide a crucial test of how extensively the new secondary sanctions are implemented across the global aviation industry.
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