US Treasury Delists Iranian Airlines Amid Ongoing Crypto Sanctions

The US Treasury Department has removed sanctions from three Iranian airlines and two associated aircraft linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This move is a targeted adjustment to Washington's sprawling sanctions architecture against Tehran.

The delisting was imposed under Executive Order 13224, which targets entities tied to terrorism financing. The IRGC itself has been subject to escalating designations since around 2017-2019, including its addition to the Foreign Terrorist Organization list.

This selective move is likely part of broader diplomatic maneuvering that remains behind closed doors. It does not indicate a relaxation of sanctions on the crypto space, as evidenced by the recent sanctioning of Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, for facilitating IRGC-linked financial flows in June 2026.

The Treasury views crypto exchanges as critical nodes in sanctions evasion networks, and any exchange that facilitates transactions for designated entities faces the risk of being added to the Specially Designated Nationals list. Compliance teams at exchanges and DeFi protocols should treat this development as confirmation that IRGC-related designations in the digital asset space are durable.