Washington: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that operations of all Iranian commercial airlines would be shut down worldwide from September 23, as Washington moves to isolate Tehran’s civil aviation network through secondary sanctions.
“On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC, outlining measures targeting international services supporting Iranian carriers.
Bessent said international hubs servicing Iranian aircraft would face exclusion from the US banking system. He warned that foreign operators could risk losing access to dollar clearing if they refuelled Iranian aircraft, provided landing facilities or sold passenger tickets for the airlines.
Iranian officials had not immediately issued a public response to the planned aviation restrictions.
Bessent also warned third-party entities assisting Tehran that Washington had identified financial intermediaries facilitating transactions involving Iran. He said the United States was moving to stop such activity and indicated that affected entities were aware of the measures.
Asked about possible Chinese enforcement, Bessent said the issue had been discussed during meetings with several countries. He described the discussions as quiet and behind the scenes, and said Chinese financial authorities, including People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, remained engaged in the process.
Bessent did not give a timeframe for how long the pressure campaign would continue, saying he could not specify whether it would last one week, one month or six months. He described the financial strain on Iran as unprecedented.
The announcement came as diplomatic efforts involving Iran continued. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran and met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, with discussions focused on finalising agreements to expand bilateral relations, according to Iranian state media.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the visit was taking place within the framework of bilateral relations and that existing understandings between the two countries, including those reached at presidential level, were expected to be discussed.
Naqvi has also been involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the United States alongside Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. Officials previously said his visit would include discussions on Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and efforts to revive stalled US-Iran peace talks.
The developments come amid continued tensions in the region, with Washington saying the door remains open for Iran to return to negotiations while Tehran has warned of further retaliation if it faces a new US offensive.
