The U.S. government issued a strong warning that it would impose a secondary boycott (third-party sanctions) on foreign governments and corporations that have a transaction with Iranian airlines. As Iran recently moved to resume international commercial operations through Tehran International Airport, Washington reaffirmed its firm resolve to cut off at the source the funding streams trying to bypass the sanctions net.
According to a compilation of reports from major outlets including the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and AP on the 27th local time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that "any entity that has a transaction with Iranian airlines could be subject to sanctions."
Minister Bessent said, "Engaging in a transaction with sanctioned Iranian airlines amounts to exposing oneself to U.S. sanctions." He also urged, "Foreign governments must take all necessary steps to ensure that corporations under their jurisdiction provide no services whatsoever to the relevant aircraft, including supplying jet fuel, providing in-flight meals, paying landing fees, and performing maintenance and repairs." He added, "The Treasury will apply maximum pressure on Iran, and we will not hesitate to take sanction measures against third parties that have a transaction with Iranian entities or facilitate such activities."
Earlier, Iran's state broadcaster reported that on the 25th, commercial passenger flights bound for Türkiye, Oman, and Saudi Arabia took off from the capital, Tehran. Even amid armed clashes, Iran is resuming international flights in an attempt to break out of economic isolation. By contrast, the U.S. Treasury has fully launched what it calls an "economic fury" operation, mobilizing sweeping sanction authorities to cripple the Iranian regime. In particular, it is taking direct aim at the global asset networks that help with crude oil transactions, the core revenue source of Iran's economy. The United States has recently escalated all-around pressure, even sending a strong warning letter to Chinese banks receiving Iranian funds that said, "If you continue to support Iranian oil transactions, we will trigger a secondary boycott and expel you from the U.S. financial system."
Experts say the latest U.S. measure is a comprehensive economic blockade strategy aimed at completely draining the Iranian regime's funding sources. Meir J. Litvak, a researcher with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said on the liberal-leaning Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that "the U.S. goal is to deprive the Iranian regime of the revenue and assets needed for its survival," adding, "The key question is whether this approach matches the scale of the current situation."