US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker sent a letter urging the Trump administration to execute new sanctions ahead of an October 18 deadline. The lawmakers called for crackdowns on Russian oil trading intermediaries in Dubai and Hong Kong, as well as transit networks in China and the UAE. They also urged the Treasury Department to target illicit banking channels, specifically naming overseas branches including VTB Bank in Shanghai.
An investigation by Iran International based on leaked documents reveals that US-sanctioned Bank Parsian used its foreign-exchange arm, Parsian Exchange, to move funds abroad via intermediaries between November 2022 and May 2023. Leaked instruction letters directed roughly $36 million in UAE dirhams, Chinese yuan, and US dollars to overseas bank accounts designated by Iranian importers. The transactions utilized Iranian export proceeds held overseas to obscure ties to sanctioned Iranian institutions.
Commercial air services between Iran and Najaf, Iraq, resumed on October 4, 2026, following a US sanctions waiver granted to Baghdad. Iranian airlines, excluding Mahan Air, are authorized to operate up to 40 daily flights to the Iraqi airport.
Heightened US aviation sanctions under Operation Economic Outcast are forcing travelers toward land border crossings as foreign airports halt services for Iranian commercial flights. The secondary sanctions risk penalizing ground handling, fueling, and ticketing providers across regional routes including Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The resulting air disruption has increased travel and accommodation costs while causing severe delays for business passengers and medical travel.
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