Tehran:Iranian academic Shahram Zarneshan has raised concerns that secondary sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector by the United States could breach fundamental principles of international law and undermine obligations under international agreements.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Zarneshan, an international law scholar at Allameh Tabataba'i University, pointed out that aviation ties between countries are often governed by the 1994 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and related agreements. He explained that these legal frameworks grant states specific freedoms of air navigation, allowing them to expand aviation relations. As such, sanctions that impose restrictions or prohibitions on these ties might raise legal issues if they contravene states' international obligations.

Zarneshan also noted that countries with air transport and transit agreements with Iran could face international responsibility if sanctions-related restrictions hinder them from meeting their commitments. He emphasized that the implications of such aviation sanctions should be evaluated not only in political and economic terms but also regarding their impact on flight safety and passengers' rights.

These remarks come in the context of intensified US sanctions against Iran's civil aviation sector. On September 8, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on 36 entities and individuals connected to Iran's aviation industry, including foreign companies and intermediaries. These measures also put foreign service providers dealing with sanctioned Iranian airlines at risk of penalties.