US plans new sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and aviation services
Humanitarian and religious flights remain exempt from latest restrictions
Washington links economic pressure on Iran to ongoing ceasefire negotiations
The United States is set to block Iranian airlines from accessing landing slots, refuelling facilities and ticket sales as part of an escalating campaign of economic pressure on Tehran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Thursday.
Bessent made the announcement on X, warning that "only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral," though he did not name the specific carriers targeted. Iran's flag carrier Iran Air has previously been designated by the US State Department, while Mahan Air has also been subject to sanctions. The move follows Wednesday's Treasury action sanctioning Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which Washington says is collecting fees from commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz in violation of international law.
Speaking at a press briefing later on Thursday, Bessent clarified that the restrictions would not apply to religious travel. "We are not going to restrict movement for religious reasons, so Iranians who want to make the pilgrimage to Mecca or Medina will be allowed," he said, adding that valid humanitarian flights would also be exempted.
The announcements come as the broader diplomatic picture remains precarious. US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8, but both sides exchanged strikes on Thursday, underscoring how fragile the current arrangement is. Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz following US-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28, sending energy costs sharply higher. The waterway normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and gas.
Negotiations over a memorandum of understanding to formalise the ceasefire and reopen the strait remain ongoing, with the US maintaining that sanctions and other economic measures will continue to tighten until a satisfactory agreement is reached. The airline restrictions represent the latest in a series of escalating financial measures Washington has deployed alongside the diplomatic track, signalling that it intends to keep economic pressure on Tehran regardless of the pace of talks.
