US Treasury Chief Says Iranian Airlines to Be Grounded Worldwide From Wednesday

Washington, D.C. (Terror Monitor) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that all Iranian commercial airlines will effectively be grounded worldwide beginning Wednesday, September 23, as Washington moves to further tighten economic pressure on Tehran.

Speaking to CNBC, Bessent said foreign airports and companies that continue providing services to Iranian airlines could face U.S. secondary sanctions and lose access to the American dollar-based financial system.

“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent said, according to reports. He said foreign service providers would risk being cut off from the U.S. financial system if they continue supporting Iranian carriers.

Under the threatened measures, airports and aviation companies would face restrictions if they provide Iranian airlines with fuel, landing services or ticketing facilities. The move would significantly affect the ability of Iranian carriers to maintain international operations.

The announcement follows a major U.S. Treasury sanctions action on September 8. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 36 targets linked to Iran’s aviation sector, including 27 Iranian airlines. Washington said the targeted aviation network had been used by the Iranian regime for the movement of weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.

The 27 airlines placed on the sanctions list included Iran Aseman Airlines, Iran Air Tour, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Airlines, Varesh Airlines, Zagros Airlines, Karun Airlines, Chabahar Airlines and Fly Persia, among others.

Bessent said he does not know how long the confrontation with Iran will continue. He also indicated that Washington has been discussing the sanctions and Iran-related financial pressure with China.

The issue is particularly significant ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on September 24. Iran and China’s financial and economic ties are expected to be among the broader issues discussed between the two leaders. Reuters reported that Bessent has been engaged in talks with Chinese officials about China’s financial relationship with Iran ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

Bessent had previously said that his discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng would include efforts to address Iran-related sanctions and could help prepare the ground for discussions between Trump and Xi on the issue.

China has also called for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Iran and the United States on September 16 to return to negotiations and ease regional tensions.

The latest U.S. measures form part of the Trump administration’s broader “Operation Economic Outcast,” which Washington says is intended to cut off Iran’s remaining economic and financial channels. The Treasury has warned foreign entities that sanctions evasion or material support for Iran can expose them to restrictions on access to the U.S. financial system.