U.S. Treasury Sanctions 27 Iranian Airlines: "Exclusion from the Financial System"

A Total of 36 Entities, Including Iranian Airlines, Sanctioned

IRGC Claims Seizure of U.S. Submarine

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping sanctions on 36 individuals, businesses, and organizations, including 27 Iranian civilian airlines. This move signals an escalation in pressure on Iran by expanding the so-called “economic isolation operation” into the aviation sector.

U.S. Department of the Treasury website

On the 8th (local time), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced, “All remaining Iranian airlines are now subject to sanctions,” adding, “Sanctions have been imposed on 36 entities that supported the aviation sector, which is used by the Iranian regime to transport weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo.”

The sanctions list includes 27 Iranian civilian airlines, as well as overseas firms that have supported Mahan Air, Iran’s largest airline, which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. Among them are companies based in Turkey and Malaysia that brokered the acquisition of Boeing 777 aircraft by Mahan Air via third countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey, or provided cargo transport services. These companies have also been placed on the sanctions list.

OFAC pointed out that Iranian airlines have long supported the regime’s destabilizing activities in the region. According to U.S. officials, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has procured weapons and transported personnel using civilian airlines disguised as commercial operators, including Mahan Air.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) also issued a warning that day, urging global financial institutions to report any suspicious transactions related to networks supporting Iran’s aviation industry.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “This is the fulfillment of our pledge to impose severe consequences on those providing the Iranian regime with a financial lifeline,” warning that “anyone conducting transactions with the sanctioned Iranian airlines risks being excluded from the global financial system.”

While the United States increases its economic pressure, military tensions between the two countries continue in the Strait of Hormuz. On this day, the IRGC Navy claimed to have seized a state-of-the-art U.S. military unmanned underwater vehicle at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC Navy stated in a press release that “the U.S.-owned advanced smart unmanned submarine was seized through a complex intelligence and military operation,” adding that they will release photos and video footage related to the incident. The U.S. government and military have not immediately responded to Iran’s claims.

Sepah News, which is affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the seized equipment is a ‘Dive-LD’ autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle developed by the U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries. The Dive-LD measures about 5.8 meters in length, weighs 3 tons, and is used for tasks such as underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, mine detection, and anti-submarine warfare support.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.