Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines will be effectively shut out of international aviation beginning Wednesday as the Trump administration intensifies its economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
“All the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world” on Sept. 23, Bessent told CNBC Monday.
The warning extends far beyond banks. Bessent said airports, fuel suppliers, ground-service companies and ticket vendors could face US penalties if they help sanctioned Iranian aircraft continue operating.
Companies refusing to comply, Bessent warned, “will be knocked out of the dollar system.”
The policy does not mean Washington will physically close every foreign runway or control another country’s airspace. Its power comes from secondary sanctions that force companies to choose between servicing Iranian flights and retaining access to America’s financial system.
That leverage could make international operations nearly impossible. Airlines depend on fuel, maintenance, landing clearances, payment processors, booking systems and other services spread across numerous countries.
Bessent said the administration has already imposed secondary sanctions on banks in Egypt, Turkey and Russia accused of supporting Iran.
He also revealed that US officials have held private discussions with China, describing Beijing as “very engaged” in the process.
The latest warning builds upon a Sept. 8 Treasury action that sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines and nine additional targets connected to the country’s aviation industry.
Treasury officials accused Iran of using ostensibly commercial carriers to transport weapons, personnel and illicit cargo. The action also targeted front companies, cargo providers, foreign intermediaries and aircraft-procurement networks.
Among the blacklisted carriers were Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air, Saha Airlines, Taban Airlines and Zagros Airlines. Mahan Air was already under longstanding US sanctions over its alleged support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Treasury also suspended three aviation authorizations, including permissions involving overflights and non-US airlines operating US-origin or US-controlled aircraft into Iran. Officials said aviation-safety requests could still be considered individually.
Bessent said the administration is relying partly upon authorities expanded following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The crackdown falls under Operation Economic Outcast, President Donald Trump’s worldwide economic campaign to sever financial lifelines sustaining the Iranian government and the IRGC.
Trump also used sweeping sanctions against Iran’s banking industry during his first administration, demonstrating how access to dollars can be wielded against Tehran without launching a conventional military operation.
The aviation action comes amid the continuing US-Iran war, which has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and placed additional pressure on US weapons inventories.
Iranian civilians could also feel the consequences. International routes may be canceled, ticket availability could shrink and travel costs could increase if foreign airports and service providers comply.
The reach of the purported worldwide shutdown will ultimately depend on that compliance. However, because the dollar remains central to global commerce, major aviation companies are unlikely to dismiss Bessent’s warning.
Beginning Sept. 23, the administration intends to present businesses with a stark choice: service Iran’s sanctioned airlines or preserve access to the world’s dominant financial network.
