Tehran: The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization has criticized the United States for imposing extensive and unilateral sanctions on Iran's civil aviation sector, cautioning that the continuation of such actions could negatively impact regional and international aviation.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Captain Abouzar Shiroudi expressed these concerns in a statement directed to the President of the ICAO Council. He emphasized Iran's call for urgent attention to the significant and ongoing repercussions of US extraterritorial restrictions on its civil aviation. Shiroudi highlighted that following the unsuccessful attempts by the US and Israel to achieve their objectives during the wars imposed in 2025 and 2026, the US expanded its pressure to the civil aviation sector by sanctioning all Iranian airlines on September 8, 2026.

Shiroudi asserted that these sanctions contradict the principles of the 1944 Chicago Convention, which promotes the development of international aviation as a means to foster friendship among nations. He further pointed out that the sanctions undermine ICAO's strategic goal for 2026-2050, No Country Left Behind, exposing the disparity between this objective and the reality faced by sanctioned states.

He noted that despite enduring years of restrictions, ICAO has not taken effective measures to support Iran's aviation sector, which has managed to maintain safe operations primarily through domestic capabilities. Shiroudi concluded by stating that civil aviation should never be utilized as a tool for political or economic pressure, and no state should be hindered from upholding adequate aviation safety standards under such circumstances.