On September 8, the U.S. Treasury Division introduced new sanctions aimed toward grounding Iranian airways, as a part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Financial Outcast.” The sanctions hit 36 entities, together with cargo service suppliers and normal gross sales brokers based mostly in Turkiye, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia.
The Trump administration’s battle towards Iran has stretched into its seventh month. Though the U.S. authorities claims to be in management of the important Strait of Hormuz, visitors stays low. Reuters reported that six commodity vessels handed by the strait on September 8, “down from 9 a day earlier and under the 10-day common of about 12.” In 2025, earlier than the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, greater than 100 commodity vessels handed by the strait every day on common.
In late August the Treasury Division introduced an “financial D-Day.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defined: “Within the Second World Conflict, D-Day marked the historic starting of a marketing campaign with our allies to focus on and drive the enemy from its positions, together with these in third international locations. Right now, in that very same spirit, we’re launching an financial onslaught towards Iran’s monetary connections across the globe. Our goal is to sever each financial lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime till Tehran stands alone.”
The Treasury Division’s Workplace of International Belongings Management (OFAC) on September 8 designated 27 Iranian business airways “for working within the aviation sector of the Iranian financial system.”
As well as, OFAC took purpose at plenty of firms tied to Mahan Air, a privately owned Iranian airline. It was first sanctioned again in 2011 for offering “monetary, materials, and technological help to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Pressure (IRGC-QF).” The Treasury Division on the time alleged that Mahan Air secretly ferried IRGC operatives, weapons, and funds.
In 2020, OFAC designated two UAE-based firms, Parthia Cargo and Delta Components Provide FZC, “for his or her materials help of Iranian airline Mahan Air.” On the time, the Treasury Division outlined how the sanctioned firms helped Mahan Air “maintain its fleet of Western-manufactured plane.” The Treasury Division alleged that Mahan Air transported “terrorists and deadly cargo to Syria” and in addition “ Iranian technicians and technical gear to Venezuela…”
In its newest spherical of sanctions, the Treasury Division designated a number of UAE-based firms it claims had been concerned within the switch of three B-777 plane to Mahan Air.
The sanctions additionally designated a pair of Turkiye-based firms – S Sistem Lojistik Hizmetler Anonim Sirketi and Mes Cargo Transportation Tourism and International Commerce Restricted Firm – for coordinating shipments and serving as a normal gross sales agent for Mahan Air. Equally, Malaysia-based Icargo SDN BHD and Kazakhstan-based Tour Make investments LLC had been designated for appearing as normal gross sales brokers for Mahan Air.