WASHINGTON, DC – The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) expresses deep concern following the Trump administration’s announcement of sweeping new sanctions targeting Iran’s civil aviation sector, including blocking airlines with U.S.-origin aircraft from traveling to Iran, sanctions against 27 Iranian airlines and the suspension of existing aviation authorizations.
NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello has released the following statement:
“The latest Trump administration sanctions impacting the entirety of Iran’s civil aviation sector are deeply concerning. Like the Trump administration’s disastrous and backfiring war, this is an action that will have far more consequences for ordinary people who don’t determine the actions of the authoritarian Iranian government. This appears to have direct implications for Iranian Americans seeking to travel to Iran to visit loved ones, who are likely to see international flights into Iran significantly curtailed and face the risk of serious sanctions exposure if they purchase domestic flights inside of Iran. There does not appear to be a waiver for any purpose.
“Iran’s civil aviation sector has been plagued by sanctions that have blocked the country from purchasing new aircraft and securing needed parts for decades, ensuring the nation relied on old aircraft and was afflicted by a terrible safety record. Now, the Trump Treasury Department wants to supercharge those efforts, squarely targeting an industry that primarily serves civilians and helps them connect with one another across the country and with the outside world. We are far removed from smart sanctions, these are clearly sadistic sanctions that have no purpose other than spreading harm and making Iranians and others who travel inside the country less safe.”
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