The United States has announced a new package of sanctions against Iran targeting transactions tied to gold, technological supplies, aviation components and maritime transport services. In a statement cited by ANSA, official Bessent warned that "those who facilitate transactions with Iran will be targeted," signaling a change in the intensity of enforcement of economic measures against Tehran.
According to the release, the restrictions were designed to disrupt channels and intermediaries used by Iran to evade existing sanctions. U.S. attention in particular would focus on the use of gold as an alternative payment instrument, on supplies of dual-use technologies, and on the mechanisms that enable the refueling and maintenance of Iran's air fleet, as well as maritime services that support the country's commercial and naval routes.
The use of gold as a means of transferring value has been observed for years: when international financial institutions refuse transactions in convertible currency, state or private actors resort to precious metals for payments or as a store of value. The new U.S. package therefore aims to hit not only suppliers of physical metal but also financial intermediaries, logistics companies and anyone who facilitates movements of value to Iran.
On the technological front, the sanctions intend to limit Iran's access to components and software that can have military applications or contribute to improved surveillance, communications and control capabilities. Non-proliferation experts underscore the importance of monitoring both direct suppliers and the "long chain" of subcontractors that, via third countries, can make sensitive technologies available.
The aviation sector is another crucial point: U.S. restrictions focus on spare parts, maintenance equipment and services that enable the safety and operability of Iranian civil and military aircraft. Analysts say interrupting these channels can have immediate effects on flight safety and on the ability of Iranian carriers to maintain fleets that are often aging, while also creating long-term risks for passengers.
The sanctions also extend to the maritime sector, where Washington aims to curb the use of shadow fleets, practices that falsify registrations, and the provision of port and insurance services that allow Iranian maritime trade to continue. The sea has long been a key theater for the export of oil and other goods, and the U.S. intent is to make it more difficult for merchandise that could finance activities deemed destabilizing to transit.
The practical consequences for the Iranian economy could be significant, but not immediate: striking intermediaries and supply channels complicates Tehran's ability to import technology and essential services and reduces options for monetizing commodity exports. However, the history of sanctions shows that effects are diluted over time through adaptation measures including the use of shell companies, alternative currencies and trading partners willing to assume diplomatic and financial risks.
The measures announced are consistent with the U.S. maximum-pressure strategy, but raise questions about potential spillover effects for businesses and institutions of third countries, including European ones, that maintain legitimate economic relations with Iran, such as humanitarian trade and medical supplies — categories that in the past were partly exempted from sanctions. Washington has not yet detailed the full list of sanctioned entities or the exemptions envisaged in the statement, leaving open how imports considered essential will be handled.
From a geopolitical standpoint, the announcement comes amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States and could have repercussions for Tehran's relations with regional allies and partners such as China, Russia and some Asian and African countries that have maintained commercial ties in the past. These countries could be forced to choose between economic interests and U.S. diplomatic pressure; at the same time, they might offer Iran alternative routes to evade the restrictions.
No official reaction from the Iranian government was available in the sources consulted. In the past Tehran has responded to similar measures with counter-sanctions, acceleration of domestic industrial development programs and a search for new commercial alliances. Whether Iran this time will attempt diplomatic openings, economic retaliation or a combination of both remains to be seen.
Among the points still uncertain, sources did not disclose the precise entities and names of companies or individuals targeted, nor the technical details on how transactions via gold and maritime services will be identified and sanctioned. The scope of any exemptions for humanitarian trade and flight safety was also not specified: elements that will be decisive in assessing the real impact on international supply chains.
The adoption of new sanctions appears intended to increase economic pressure on Tehran while deterring third parties from facilitating activities Washington deems illicit. Yet the longstanding dilemma of sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy remains: effectiveness in changing state behavior versus human and commercial costs, and targets' capacity to adapt. In the coming days it will be important to monitor the publication of lists of sanctioned individuals and companies, interpretations by international financial authorities and possible responses from Tehran and regional partners.