All Iranian airlines to shut down worldwide by Sept. 23, US Treasury chief says

Operations of all Iranian commercial airlines will shut down globally beginning Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday.

"On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told US television network CNBC, outlining broad secondary sanctions aimed at isolating Tehran's civil aviation network.

Bessent explained that international hubs servicing Iranian planes would face complete exclusion from the American banking system. Foreign operators cannot refuel the aircraft, provide landing facilities, or sell passenger tickets without risking their access to dollar clearing, he warned.

Iranian officials did not immediately issue a public response regarding the planned aviation restrictions.

Bessent also warned third-party entities assisting Tehran that Washington has identified financial intermediaries facilitating transactions. "We've seen enablers throughout the world. We know who they are. They know who they are, and we are putting a stop to it," he said.

Asked whether discussions covered potential Chinese enforcement, Bessent confirmed that the matter was addressed during meetings. He noted that Washington conducts "quiet, behind-the-scenes discussions" with multiple nations rather than public spectacles, adding that Chinese financial authorities, including People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, remain “very engaged in the process.”

Regarding the duration and intensity of the campaign, Bessent did not specify whether the pressure will last "one week, one month, or six months" but noted the strain is “like never before.”

The aviation embargo comes as Washington escalates economic measures against Tehran under Operation Economic Fury amid the Iran war, which is now in its seventh month. The war began in late February following coordinated US-Israeli strikes, sparking maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, persistent regional missile exchanges, and heightened pressure on Iran's commercial and financial conduits.