US: All Iranian Airlines to Cease Global Operations from 23 September!
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that the operations of all Iranian airlines will be halted on 23 September. Bessent warned that Tehran’s airlines will face significant difficulties operating globally as a result of American sanctions.
This move, as reported by AFP and Anadolu Agency on Tuesday (22/9/2026), was announced by Bessent as the administration of US President Donald Trump continues to escalate economic pressure on Iran amidst a protracted conflict.
“On 23 September, all Iranian airlines will cease their operations worldwide,” Bessent told the US media outlet CNBC on Monday (21/9) local time.
Bessent warned that international aviation hubs serving Iranian aircraft will face total exclusion from the American banking system.
He also cautioned that foreign operators cannot refuel Iranian aircraft or provide landing facilities without risking their access to US dollar clearing services.
“If they [Iranian airlines] land, you must not provide fuel, you must not provide landing services, nor sell tickets to them, or you will be expelled from the dollar system,” the US Treasury Secretary warned other nations.
There has been no immediate response from Iranian authorities regarding the US statement.
In his statement, Bessent also issued a warning to third parties assisting Iran. He stated that Washington has identified financial intermediaries facilitating transactions with Tehran.
“We have seen facilitators across the world. We know who they are. They know who they are, and we are stopping that practice,” he said.
Regarding the duration and intensity of these US economic measures, Bessent did not specify whether the pressure would last for weeks or months, but he emphasised that this level of pressure is “unprecedented.”
This move follows a series of previous US sanctions against the Iranian aviation industry and the threat of an “economic D-Day” launched by Washington against Tehran, alongside the US Treasury Secretary’s promise to sever Iran’s financial access.