United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said all Iranian airlines would be shut down worldwide from September 23. He made the statement during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Monday.
Bessent explained the mechanism behind the move. “If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel. You cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” he stated. The measure targets airports, fuel suppliers and ticket sellers that continue to service the carriers.
The announcement formed part of Washington’s intensified economic pressure on Tehran. Bessent said the United States was targeting Iran’s enablers around the world. He noted that the campaign was applying pressure “like never before.”
Earlier this month, the Treasury Department sanctioned remaining Iranian airlines under existing executive orders. The new warning extends secondary sanctions to foreign entities that assist those carriers. Bessent added that the United States had already acted against banks in several countries accused of supporting Iranian financial flows.
Iraqi sources later indicated that Baghdad planned to suspend Iranian flights following the announcement. Some Iranian carriers had already curtailed certain routes in response to earlier restrictions.
Bessent stressed that the United States sought to isolate Iran’s aviation sector. He linked the step to ongoing efforts that included sanctions on major foreign banks. The Treasury Secretary did not specify exceptions beyond previous statements on limited humanitarian or religious travel.
The warning came as the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran continued into its seventh month. Officials in Washington described the aviation measures as another tool to constrain Tehran’s economic activity.
