Iran's Human Rights Council Condemns US Aviation Sanctions, Warns of Flight Safety Risks

Iran's High Council for Human Rights has condemned US sanctions imposed on September 8 targeting the country's aviation sector, warning the restrictions threaten flight safety and human lives. The US Treasury Department's "Operation Economic Outcast" targeted 36 entities, including 27 Iranian airlines, which Washington accused of supporting activities involving weapons, personnel and illicit cargo, along with foreign intermediaries and procurement networks tied to Iran's aviation sector.

In a statement issued on Monday, September 28, the council said the sanctions restrict access to aircraft parts, equipment and technical services, and argued this extends beyond trade to directly endanger civil aviation safety, since safe operations depend on reliable access to spare parts, engines, navigation and communications equipment, and maintenance and repair services. The council invoked the 1944 Chicago Convention's principles on safe and orderly civil aviation development, arguing that restrictions on safety-critical equipment must be evaluated within international aviation obligations.

Iran also cited an October 3, 2018 order by the International Court of Justice in a case Iran brought against the United States, in which the ICJ identified spare parts, equipment and associated services necessary for civil aviation safety as linked to rights claimed under the 1955 Treaty of Amity, and stated that US measures had the potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users. The council said this history shows the relationship between sanctions and aviation safety has previously been examined internationally, and argued that political and economic disputes should not undermine aviation safety or increase risks to passengers and crews.