All Iranian commercial airlines will stop operating worldwide starting Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as reported by Anadolu.
“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC. He explained that these broad secondary sanctions are meant to isolate Tehran’s civil aviation network.
Bessent said that international airports serving Iranian planes could be completely cut off from the US banking system. He warned that foreign operators who refuel Iranian aircraft, offer landing facilities, or sell tickets risk losing access to dollar transactions.
Iranian officials have not yet responded publicly to the planned aviation restrictions.
Bessent also warned that the US has 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.
When asked if talks included possible Chinese enforcement, Bessent said the topic came up in meetings. He explained that Washington prefers “quiet, behind-the-scenes discussions” with other countries instead of public displays. He added that Chinese financial officials, including People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, are “very engaged in the process.”
Bessent did not say how long or how intense the campaign will be, whether it will last “one week, one month, or six months.” He did say the pressure is “like never before.”
The aviation embargo is part of Washington’s increased economic pressure on Tehran under Operation Economic Fury, during the Iran war, now in its seventh month. The conflict started in late February after US-Israeli strikes, leading to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, ongoing missile exchanges in the region, and more pressure on Iran’s trade and finances.
