US Sanctions on Iran's Aviation Sector Raise Safety and Humanitarian Concerns, Tehran Says

Iran's state news agency IRNA has renewed criticism of United States sanctions targeting the country's civil aviation sector, arguing the restrictions endanger flight safety and disproportionately affect ordinary travelers.

According to IRNA, the sanctions have limited Iranian airlines' access to spare parts, maintenance services and new aircraft, a shortfall the outlet says has raised safety concerns for the millions of Iranians who depend on air travel each year.

The agency said many of those affected use flights for essential purposes, including visiting family members abroad, seeking medical treatment not available domestically, and pursuing education opportunities overseas. IRNA characterized the sanctions as a form of pressure that falls most heavily on civilians rather than the government officials the measures are nominally intended to target.

Iran's aviation fleet, much of it acquired before sanctions were tightened following the 1979 revolution and expanded in subsequent decades, has faced longstanding difficulty importing replacement parts for aircraft built by Boeing and Airbus. International aviation safety bodies have periodically flagged concerns about the age and maintenance status of some aircraft operating in Iranian airspace.

IRNA's report reflects the Iranian government's continued position that Washington's sanctions regime, reimposed and expanded since 2018, unfairly targets essential civilian infrastructure. The report did not cite an official US government response to these specific claims.