US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Iranian airlines could be effectively shut out of international operations from this week, as Washington threatens foreign companies with secondary sanctions if they continue servicing the Islamic republic’s carriers.
“All the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC in an interview, as the US-Iran war approaches its seven-month mark.
The warning extends beyond the airlines themselves, targeting airports, ticketing companies, fuel suppliers and other businesses that provide services needed for Iranian carriers to operate internationally.
“How will we do this? If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, and you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” Bessent said.
He said the airlines could be effectively shut out by Sept. 23.
Pressure extends to aviation support businesses
The threat represents the latest escalation in Washington’s economic campaign against Tehran and comes as another component of US President Donald Trump’s strategy in the war against Iran.
It follows earlier US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation industry, as well as Bessent’s warning of an “economic D-Day” for Iran and his pledge to choke off Tehran financially.
Iran has yet to respond to Bessent’s latest economic measures, while several countries have announced steps affecting sanctioned Iranian airlines.
Two Iraqi sources told AFP that Baghdad would suspend flights by Iranian airlines following the US Treasury’s announcement.
Georgia also barred Iranian carriers from its land, while Iranian airline Mahan said it had suspended services to Turkey at the request of the Turkish government.
Iran’s aviation sector has long faced sanctions that have restricted its ability to obtain aircraft, spare parts and maintenance services.
China and the wider US-Iran conflict
Bessent’s comments came a day after he met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for economic talks that laid the groundwork for Trump’s summit on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China is one of Iran’s top economic partners and diplomatic backers.
The United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and senior military officials at the start of a broad offensive.
Tehran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy transit, causing global oil prices to surge as the conflict spread across the Middle East.
Earlier this month, the United States said it had imposed sanctions on “all remaining Iranian airlines” that had yet to face such penalties.
The Treasury Department also targeted entities supporting Iran’s aviation sector, including companies based outside Iran.
Iran’s airspace was completely closed after the US-Israel alliance launched attacks in late February. Since then, some travel has resumed, but only through flights operated by Iranian carriers.
