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US sanctions Iran's entire aviation sector under Operation Economic Outcast
The United States government has launched a sweeping new sanctions campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Economic Outcast’, targeting Iran’s entire commercial civil aviation sector. The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on 36 entities, including 27 Iranian airlines, to prevent the transport of weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In addition to the airlines, the US has targeted international intermediaries and service providers. This includes Turkish-based firms such as Sky Phoenix, Mes Cargo, and S Sistem Lojistik, which are accused of facilitating the transfer of aircraft and components to Mahan Air. Investigations revealed that Mahan Air acquired at least three Boeing 777 aircraft through third countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Oman, during the summer of 2026.
The Treasury Department has also suspended general licenses that previously allowed non-US airlines to operate US-origin or US-controlled aircraft within Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that any entity continuing to do business with these sanctioned airlines risks being cut off from the global financial system. The administration has signaled a shift toward a more restrictive policy, stating that requests for special transaction licenses will generally be rejected unless they meet strict humanitarian criteria.
Entities
Abbas Araghchi · Donald Trump · Iran · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Mahan Air · Masoud Pezeshkian · Office of Foreign Assets Control · Scott Bessent · Sky Phoenix · United States Department of the Treasury
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The sanctions program is named ‘Operation Economic Outcast’. bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · stvincenttribune.com · barbadosgazette.com · www.aljazeera.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that doing business with the sanctioned airlines risks exclusion from the global financial system. bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · stvincenttribune.com · barbadosgazette.com · ien.sa · +1 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] The sanctions target 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers or sales agents. bhaskarlive.in · www.diarioestrategia.cl · abc17news.com · keyt.com · kvia.com · +11 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the US sanctions, suggesting they could damage US global prestige. www.diarioestrategia.cl · nemosnewsnetwork.com · www.bedigest.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] The US is suspending authorizations for non-US airlines to fly US-origin or US-controlled aircraft into Iran. ien.sa · bhaskarlive.in · abc17news.com · haitigazette.com · haber.aero · +1 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Sanctioned third-country entities include firms from Türkiye, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates. bhaskarlive.in · www.diarioestrategia.cl · abc17news.com · bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · +5 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] The US Treasury Department announced 36 Iran-related sanctions on commercial and private airlines. bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · stvincenttribune.com · barbadosgazette.com · bhaskarlive.in · +17 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the country will continue to resist aggression. bhaskarlive.in · www.latestly.com
- [● 16 SOURCES] The US Treasury accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of using private airlines to transport weapons and personnel. ien.sa · bhaskarlive.in · www.latestly.com · bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · +10 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran opposes war but will continue to resist aggression. bhaskarlive.in · www.latestly.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the US sanctions, claiming they would damage US global prestige. www.epochtimes.com · www.bedigest.com · nemosnewsnetwork.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Sanctioned third-country entities include companies from Türkiye, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and the UK. bhaskarlive.in · www.diarioestrategia.cl · abc17news.com · www.epochtimes.com · avioblog.it