US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Iranian airlines could be shut down worldwide from September 23 as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran, 24NewsHD TV reported.
“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC on Monday.
He warned that airports and companies providing services to Iranian carriers could face exclusion from the US dollar system.
Bessent said foreign airports would not be able to provide Iranian airlines with fuel or landing services or sell tickets for their flights without risking US sanctions.
The warning follows a US sanctions campaign targeting Iran’s aviation sector.
On September 8, Washington imposed measures against dozens of entities linked to Iranian aviation, including airlines and foreign companies accused of supporting the sector.
The pressure has already affected Mahan Air, an Iranian airline under US sanctions.
The carrier suspended flights to Muscat from September 17 and announced the suspension of flights to Istanbul and Ankara from September 21, citing decisions by the relevant aviation authorities.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, have sought to clarify that the suspension of Mahan Air flights does not mean all air services between Iran and Turkey have stopped.
Iran Air also said flights to Iraq’s Najaf airport were operating according to schedule.
The latest US measures are part of Washington’s broader campaign to restrict Iran’s international economic and financial networks. Bessent said the United States was applying pressure on Tehran “like never before.”