US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran’s commercial airlines would cease operations worldwide starting Sept. 23. Bessent said the plan was linked to Washington’s preparations for broad secondary sanctions aimed at isolating Iran’s civil aviation network.
Under the plan, international hubs serving Iranian aircraft could face complete exclusion from the US banking system. Foreign companies that fuel Iranian aircraft, provide landing services or sell passenger tickets could lose access to the US dollar-clearing system.
Third-party organizations also targeted
Bessent said third-party organizations supporting Iran would also be targeted by the sanctions. He said Washington had identified intermediaries facilitating financial transactions and announced that these organizations’ activities would be halted.
The US Treasury secretary said talks with China on enforcing the sanctions were also under way. Bessent said Chinese financial authorities were closely involved in the process and that discussions with the government in Beijing were being held privately.
Campaign’s duration remains unclear
Bessent did not give a firm date for how long the economic pressure campaign would last. Asked whether it would continue for a week, a month or six months, he said the pressure on Iran had reached an unprecedented level.
The plan to restrict air transportation was announced as Washington increased its economic measures against Iran. The war in Iran had entered its seventh month, with the fighting beginning after coordinated US-Israeli attacks carried out in late February.
The fighting has disrupted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, while missile attacks have continued in the region and pressure on Iran’s commercial and financial ties has increased.
