US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Monday said Washington expects Iranian airlines to be effectively shut out of international operations from September 23, as the Trump administration threatens secondary sanctions against foreign airports and companies that continue providing services to the country’s carriers. Bessent said the measures would target the network of services Iranian airlines need to operate abroad, including refuelling, landing facilities and ticket sales.
“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC. Explaining how Washington intends to enforce the restrictions, he said service providers dealing with Iranian carriers could face exclusion from the dollar-based financial system. The warning raises the prospect of foreign airports, ground handlers, fuel suppliers and ticketing companies having to choose between continuing business with Iranian carriers and retaining access to the US financial system.
Pressure on aviation sector
The warning follows a major expansion of US sanctions against Iran’s aviation industry earlier this month. On September 8, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 36 targets linked to the sector, including 27 Iranian airlines that had not previously been designated under Washington’s aviation-sector sanctions authority. The action also covered foreign intermediaries and companies that the Treasury alleged were involved in supporting Iranian aviation operations and procurement networks.
The Treasury said at the time that foreign companies or individuals assisting sanctioned Iranian airlines could face consequences, including for providing aircraft transfers, cargo services and general sales-agent support. Washington has accused Iran of using its aviation network to move weapons, personnel and other cargo, allegations Tehran has rejected as part of a broader US pressure campaign.
The September 23 warning goes further by focusing on the services required for Iranian aircraft to operate internationally. Bessent said foreign providers could not supply fuel or landing services or sell tickets for Iranian carriers without risking US action.
China in focus
Bessent made the remarks after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that concluded Sunday night. He said Chinese officials had been “very engaged” in discussions surrounding Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Iran.
The Treasury Secretary also said the US had held what he described as positive discussions with Chinese financial authorities, including People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, over compliance with American sanctions on Iran.
The effectiveness of the latest measures, however, will depend substantially on compliance by airports and aviation service providers outside the United States. Iranian carriers including Iran Air, Mahan Air and Qeshm Air operate international routes, although their overseas network is relatively limited. Aviation analysts have also pointed to questions over how comprehensively Washington can enforce restrictions across multiple jurisdictions and service providers.
The move forms part of Washington’s broader “Operation Economic Outcast”, launched in August to intensify financial pressure on Tehran. The US Treasury has said the campaign is aimed at cutting financial channels and revenue sources that Washington says support the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.