WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, announced sweeping aviation sanctions under Operation Economic Outcast, with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designating 36 targets tied to Iran’s aviation sector, including 27 Iranian airlines named under the Aug. 24, 2026 aviation-sector determination pursuant to Executive Order 13902, according to Treasury press release sb0623.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said: “Under Operation Economic Outcast, we promised severe consequences for those providing financial lifelines to the Iranian regime… Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”

The 27 Iranian airlines designated under E.O. 13902 include Air Shiraz, Asa Jet Airline, Ata Airlines, Atlas Aviation Group, Ava Airlines, Chabahar Airlines, Erwan Airline, Fly Kish, Fly Persia, Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Jsky Airlines, Kish Airlines, Karun Airlines, Lad Airways, Mehr Airways, Nasim Air, Pars Oghyanous Kish, Qeshm Air, Raimon Airways, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Soroush Air, Taban Airlines, Toos Airlines, Varesh Airlines, and Zagros Airlines.

OFAC also designated the UAE-based ECT Aviation Support network and its owner Ibrahim Ali Mohamed Mohamed Mahran, Türkiye-based Sky Phoenix, and Aerobravo, saying they helped divert at least three Boeing 777s to already-sanctioned Mahan Air via the UAE and Oman in summer 2026. Cargo and general-sales-agent firms S Sistem, Mes Cargo, Icargo, and Tour Invest were designated for supporting Mahan Air. Concurrently, OFAC suspended three Iran-related aviation authorizations covering overflights and non-U.S. airlines flying U.S.-origin or U.S.-controlled commercial aircraft into Iran; safety-related requests will be considered case by case. FinCEN issued a parallel alert on procurement red flags for Iranian aircraft and parts.

The action is a financial and licensing squeeze on civil aviation enablers — not a kinetic strike story — layered onto prior Mahan Air terrorism designations and the wider Outcast campaign announced Aug. 24. Reuters separately noted the fresh Iran-related sanctions appearing on Treasury’s site Tuesday.

Sources