US to 'shut down' Iranian airlines worldwide on 23 September, Bessent warns

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Iranian airlines will be unable to operate anywhere in the world from 23 September, as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.

On September 23, “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC in an interview on Monday. “If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” he added.

The threat is already biting. Two Iraqi government sources told AFP that Baghdad would suspend flights by Iranian airlines starting Tuesday at dawn, warning that countries failing to comply risked US sanctions. Georgia has barred Iranian carriers from its land, while Iranian carrier Mahan said it had suspended service to Turkey at the Turkish government’s request.

The move follows US sanctions imposed earlier this month on “all remaining Iranian airlines” not previously targeted, as well as on firms outside Iran accused of supporting the country’s aviation sector. The United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and senior military officials, prompting Tehran to block the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent’s remarks came a day after he met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for talks laying the groundwork for President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Sources

• Arab News (Reuters) — US Treasury chief says Iran airlines to be ‘shut down’ Sept 23
• Al Arabiya (AFP) — Iraq to suspend US-sanctioned Iranian airlines, government sources say
• The Hindu — U.S. Treasury chief says Iran airlines to be ‘shut down’ on September 23