NEW YORK: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that all Iranian airlines would effectively be shut down worldwide from Wednesday as Washington escalates sanctions to isolate Tehran.
“On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC.
Bessent on Iran:
On September 23, all Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world.
How do we do that? 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… pic.twitter.com/pX5wfEobV3
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 21, 2026
He said foreign airports and companies that continued to service Iranian carriers would risk losing access to the US dollar financial system.
“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,” Bessent said.
The remarks came after the US Treasury Department on September 8 sanctioned all remaining Iranian airlines that had not previously been targeted. The department also sanctioned foreign firms supporting Iran’s aviation sector.
Secondary sanctions against Iran
Bessent’s comments point to the use of secondary sanctions to pressure companies outside Iran to stop providing services to Iranian airlines.
The Treasury Department said in its September 8 action that foreign firms or individuals supporting sanctioned Iranian airlines, including through aircraft transfers, cargo services or general sales agent services, could face serious consequences.
Bessent also said Washington had identified financial intermediaries helping Tehran.
“We’ve seen enablers throughout the world. We know who they are. They know who they are, and we are putting a stop to it,” he said.
The Treasury’s September 8 measures targeted 36 entities and individuals involved in Iran’s aviation sector. They included 27 Iranian airlines that had not previously been sanctioned under the relevant aviation-sector authority, as well as foreign intermediaries and other companies accused by Washington of supporting the sector.
US economic campaign against Iran
The measures are part of the Trump administration’s broader economic campaign against Iran, known as Operation Economic Outcast.
Treasury Secretary Bessent announced the campaign on August 24, describing it as an effort to cut off the remaining economic lifelines supporting the Iranian government. The department has since expanded sanctions targeting financial, aviation and other networks linked to Tehran.
Bessent did not say how long the campaign would continue, saying he could not predict whether the pressure would last “one week, one month, or six months”.
He said the economic strain on Iran was greater than ever.
Iran’s aviation industry has faced US sanctions for years, limiting its access to aircraft, spare parts and maintenance services.
The latest US measures have further targeted the sector.
Washington has previously targeted Mahan Air, one of Iran’s major private airlines, over links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its activities. Treasury has also sanctioned companies in several countries accused of providing services or procurement support to the carrier.
The latest aviation measures come as the United States intensifies its economic pressure on Tehran amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
Tehran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy shipments.
