US aviation sanctions threaten Iran’s civil aviation safety, rights
Tehran, IRNA – US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector have raised concerns over flight safety and the rights of people who rely on air travel for family visits, medical treatment, education and other essential needs, and should not pay the price for Washington’s bullying.
The US Treasury Department announced on September 8 that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had sanctioned 36 targets for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, which the Department accused of being involved in arms transfers and illegal consignments. The measures include 27 Iranian airlines, among them Iran Air, Iran Airtour, Kish Air, Qeshm Air, Zagros, Ata, Varesh, Sepahran and Chabahar airlines.
The sanctions also cover foreign intermediaries and networks linked to the supply of aircraft, technology and services required by Iran’s aviation industry. A general license covering certain transactions involving civil aircraft was also suspended.
Iran’s Ambassador and Chargé d’Affaires to the United Nations, Gholamhossein Darzi, in a letter to the UN Security Council, described the measures as “economic terrorism, collective punishment, and a crime against humanity,” arguing that they violate the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.
Iran’s High Council of Human Rights also warned that restrictions on spare parts, navigation and communications equipment, engines, maintenance services and technical support could have consequences beyond commercial relations, directly affecting aviation safety and human lives.
The Association of Iranian Airlines similarly expressed deep concern, stressing that civil aviation services should not become targets of political and economic measures.
The issue also has a legal dimension under international aviation law. The 1944 Chicago Convention establishes a framework for the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation and calls for meeting the needs of people for safe, regular and efficient air transport.
Therefore, any measure that directly or indirectly affects flight safety, the maintenance of civil aircraft, or people’s access to air transport should be assessed in accordance with international law and aviation safety standards.
The impact of sanctions on Iran’s aviation safety has previously been raised at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). A 2007 ICAO working paper specifically examined safety deficiencies resulting from US sanctions against Iran’s civil aviation sector.
The International Court of Justice also addressed the issue in its October 2018 provisional measures order in Iran’s case against the United States, noting the relevance of access to aircraft spare parts, equipment and related services to civil aviation safety.
Iranian legal experts have said the issue could be pursued through ICAO, the ICJ and UN human rights mechanisms, arguing that the effects of aviation restrictions on civilians should be assessed under international law, human rights principles and the principle of proportionality.
