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, companies, and organizations, including 27 Iranian civil aviation companies. The move raises the level of pressure on Iran, expanding what it calls "economic isolation operations" to the aviation sector.

U.S. Department of the Treasury website

On September 8 (local time), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced, "We have designated all remaining Iranian airlines for sanctions," adding, "Sanctions have been imposed on 36 targets that supported Iran’s aviation sector, which the Iranian regime uses to transport weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo."

The sanctions list includes 27 Iranian civilian airlines as well as foreign companies that have supported Mahan Air, Iran's largest airline, which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. Among those sanctioned are companies from Turkey and Malaysia that either brokered the acquisition of Boeing 777 aircraft for Mahan Air via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey, or provided cargo transport services.

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

On the same day, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) also issued an alert to financial institutions worldwide, calling for the reporting of suspicious transactions related to networks supporting Iran’s aviation industry.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “We are fulfilling our promise to impose a heavy price on those who provide a financial lifeline to the Iranian regime,” warning, “anyone conducting business with any of the Iranian airlines hit by sanctions now risks exclusion from the global financial system.”

While the United States has ramped up economic pressure, military tensions between the two countries have persisted in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC Navy claimed on the same day that it had seized a state-of-the-art unmanned underwater vehicle operated by the U.S. military at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA and others, the IRGC Navy issued a statement saying, “Through a complex intelligence and military operation, we have captured an advanced U.S. smart unmanned underwater submarine,” and announced plans to release related photos and video footage. The U.S. government and military did not immediately comment on Iran’s claim.

Separately, Sepah News, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the captured device is the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle 'Dive-LD,' developed by U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries. The Dive-LD is approximately 5.8 meters in length and weighs 3 tons. Its tasks include underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, mine detection, and support for anti-submarine warfare.

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