US warns Iran's airlines will be 'shut down' worldwide from September 23
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Iranian airlines will be unable to operate internationally from September 23, as Washington steps up financial pressure on Tehran.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Mr. Bessent said that from that date "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world."
He set out the consequences for any company that continues to do business with them: "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."
The warning rests on the central role of the US dollar in global finance. Foreign airports, fuel suppliers, insurers and ticketing agents that keep serving sanctioned Iranian carriers risk losing access to dollar-denominated transactions, which most international commerce depends on.
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. The closure pushed global oil prices sharply higher as the conflict spread across West Asia.
Earlier this month, Washington imposed sanctions on all remaining Iranian airlines that had not already been designated. The Treasury Department also targeted entities accused of supporting Iran's aviation sector, including firms based outside Iran.
Mr. Bessent had earlier said the United States would declare an "economic D-Day" on Iran and pledged to choke off Tehran financially. The September 23 measures are the latest step in that campaign.
His comments came a day after he met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for economic talks that were intended to lay the groundwork for a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday.
The timing draws attention to China's role. Beijing is one of Iran's largest economic partners and among its few remaining diplomatic backers, and the reach of US sanctions depends heavily on whether Chinese firms, banks and airports comply. The talks between Mr. Bessent and Mr. He did not produce a public statement on the aviation measures.
Iran's aviation sector has struggled under sanctions for years. Restrictions have limited its ability to buy new aircraft, obtain spare parts and secure maintenance services, leaving many carriers with ageing fleets and reduced routes.
Mr. Bessent's announcement did not specify how the measures would be enforced, and no immediate response from Iranian officials was reported. Independent confirmation of how broadly the restrictions will affect Iranian carriers in different jurisdictions was also not available.
The standoff carries wider consequences. Energy markets remain sensitive to any disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, and any lasting squeeze on Iran's airlines would affect ordinary travellers, including Iranians working or studying abroad, as well as businesses that rely on air freight.
With the Trump-Xi summit due later this week, the coming days will show whether the threat of exclusion from the dollar system is enough to persuade foreign companies and governments to fall in line, or whether the measure deepens divisions among the major powers over the conflict.
