The U.S. government announced on Tuesday that it will place “all Iranian airline companies” that had not yet been subject to sanctions on its sanctions list.

The U.S. says it is taking this step as part of its campaign to isolate Iran economically.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced that in its latest action, it has sanctioned 36 individuals and entities for supporting Iranian aviation.

According to the U.S., 27 Iranian airlines, as well as companies based in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, have been sanctioned.

A U.S. Treasury Department official who did not want to be named told Agence France-Presse: “In fact, we are removing the entire aviation sector of Iran’s economy from the market.”

📷 Getty