US Tightens Sanctions on Iranian Airlines, Threatening to Ground Fleets
Iranian airlines are facing the latest wave of US sanctions as Washington tightens the noose on the critical service and supply networks required to keep Iranian aircraft in the sky. The sweeping restrictions encompass everything from aviation fuel and airport logistics to insurance, maintenance, bank transfers, and ticket sales.
The move follows a stern warning from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated: 'Iranian airlines will be grounded starting tomorrow, September 23. If these planes land, no one will be able to refuel them, provide landing services, or sell their tickets; otherwise, they will be shut out of the US dollar system.'
Legally, however, this package of measures does not amount to a blanket closure of global airspace to Iran. No international resolution has been passed mandating all countries to ban Iranian aircraft from landing or overflying their territories. This disparity raises questions about whether unilateral US sanctions alone possess the capacity to completely isolate the Iranian aviation sector.